Species

Common loon

Gavia immer

The haunting-voiced diver of northern lakes, which winters on Georgia's coast and reservoirs.

Photo Hungry-Sarracenia Photo (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Adaptation

At a glance

Size: About 66 to 91 cm long
Weight: About 2.5 to 6 kg
Habitat: Coastal waters, sounds and large reservoirs in winter
Diet: Fish, crabs and crayfish
In Georgia: A fairly common winter visitor, November to April
Voice: Mostly silent in winter; the famous yodel and wail are breeding calls
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Large, with a heavy dagger-like bill; in winter grey-brown above and white below; in spring black-and-white checked with a black head
Told apart from: Red-throated loon, which is slimmer with a thin, upturned bill
Told apart from: Double-crested cormorant, which is black with a hooked bill
Where to look: Coastal sounds and large reservoirs such as Lake Lanier

Behaviour

Common loons dive for fish, chasing them underwater with powerful feet. Their legs are set so far back that they can barely walk on land, and they need a long runway of open water to take off.

Why they matter

Loons have solid bones, unlike most birds, which helps them dive deep. They are top predators of northern lakes, and their need for clean water and plentiful fish makes them a symbol of wild lakes. Lead fishing weights, swallowed with prey, poison many loons.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A mound of plants at the water's edge on a northern lake
Eggs — Usually two
Incubation — About 26 to 31 days
Chicks — Leave the nest within a day and ride on their parents' backs
Flight — At about 10 to 12 weeks
Lifespan — Often twenty years or more

Living around people

A loon on land, a road or a car park cannot take off and needs a rehabilitator.
Lead fishing weights and jigs kill loons; lead-free tackle helps.
Fishing line tangled around loons is a common cause of injury.

Misconceptions

A loon on land can walk back to water. Its legs are set too far back; it can only push itself along awkwardly.
Loons in Georgia are lost. Many winter here every year.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering	Wintering	Moulting into breeding plumage	Migrating north	Nesting on northern lakes	Nesting	Chicks	Chicks growing	Young flying	Migration begins	Arriving in Georgia	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 64 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.

I found an animal