What is a non breeding loon?
Nonbreeding adult/immature A bulky loon with a hefty bill and a rather flat head.
What bird is mistaken for a loon?
Double-crested Cormorant Double-crested Cormorants have more slender, orange or yellow bills with hooked tips (the hook can be hard to see at distance). They are more uniformly dark than Common Loons.
How do you tell male and female loons apart?
The male is slightly larger than the female, but otherwise the two sexes look identical. Weight: Adult loons weigh 8 to 12 pounds. Color: The common loon has a black bill and a red eye. In summer it is a spotty black and white with a black/iridescent green head.
What bird looks like a small loon?
Common loon look-alike birds are common mergansers, western grebes, Canada geese, double-crested cormorants, red-breasted mergansers, American coots, and several loon species, including yellow-billed loons, pacific loons, etc.
Are there different types of loons?
Common loonBlack‑thro… loonRed‑throat… loonPacific loonYellow‑bill… loon
Loons/Lower classifications
What duck looks like a loon?
Common Mergansers
Common Merganser Common Mergansers are commonly mistaken for adult loons in breeding plumage, however a few key traits differentiate the species. Bill color: The Common Loon in its breeding plumage has a black bill. A male Common Merganser has a red bill.
Do cormorants look like loons?
Characteristics that help to differentiate between Double-crested Cormorants and Common Loons include: Body and head shape: Double-crested Cormorants have slender bodies with a long neck. Common loons have larger bodies with a shorter, thicker neck and head.
What time of year do loons mate?
In New Hampshire, loons typically initiate their nests between late May and late June. In some cases, nests are initiated as early as early May or as late as mid-July. Because loons cannot easily walk on land, their nests are built at the water’s edge.
Are there ducks that look like loons?
Common Mergansers are commonly mistaken for adult loons in breeding plumage, however a few key traits differentiate the species. Bill color: The Common Loon in its breeding plumage has a black bill. A male Common Merganser has a red bill.
What bird looks like a loon but is all black?
Common Merganser Common Mergansers are commonly mistaken for adult loons in breeding plumage, however a few key traits differentiate the species. Bill color: The Common Loon in its breeding plumage has a black bill.
What does a common loon look like?
In its summer breeding plumage, the common loon has a black-and-white checkered back, iridescent black head and neck, black bill, red eyes, a prominent white “necklace” marking around the neck, and a much smaller white “chinstrap” marking at the throat.
Is there a duck that looks like a loon?
Common Merganser Common Mergansers are commonly mistaken for adult loons in breeding plumage, however a few key traits differentiate the species. Bill color: The Common Loon in its breeding plumage has a black bill. A male Common Merganser has a red bill.
Do loons mate for life?
Banding studies have shown that loons do not mate for life and occasionally do switch mates or territories. When one loon dies, the remaining member of a pair will find another mate. Additionally, another loon or pair may intrude on a territory, and one or both birds could be displaced.
Do loons come back to same lake?
Loons are long-lived (20-30 years!) and territorial, returning annually to the same lake to breed. They are usually six to seven years old before they establish a breeding territory with their first mate. In the spring, males migrate back to their breeding lakes to establish a territory for nesting.
What is the lifespan of a loon?
LIFE CYCLE: Loons live an estimated 20 to 30 years. Reproductive maturity is reached at or after four years. FEEDING: Yellow-billed loons feed primarily on fish, including sculpins, nine-spine sticklebacks, least cisco, and Alaska blackfish.
Are loons aggressive?
Adult loons can also be very aggressive towards each other, Fighting fiercely to the point that they sometimes cause serious or fatal injuries, such as sternal puncture wounds, to each other.
How can you tell if a loon is breeding?
Note narrow, pointed wings and long trailing feet. Large-bodied loon with a hefty bill and flat head. Breeding birds have a black-and-white striped collar and a checkerboard back. Nonbreeding birds are often brownish above and show a pale partial collar on the neck.
What kind of bird is a loon?
Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. Common Loons are large, diving waterbirds with rounded heads and dagger-like bills. They have long bodies and short tails that are usually not visible.
What does a loon look like in the fall?
From September to March, adults are plain gray on the back and head with a white throat. The bill also fades to gray. Juveniles look similar, but with more pronounced scalloping on the back. Common Loons are stealthy divers, submerging without a splash to catch fish. Pairs and groups often call to each other at night.
What is a non breeding bird with a pale collar?
Nonbreeding/immature birds often have a pale collar as seen on this bird—a spur of white extending on the dark neck. Feet are positioned far back on the body to aid in diving, but this makes walking on land very difficult.