Species: Gavia pacifica

Pacific Loon
Species

    See Stallcup (1994) for information on identification of North American loons.

    Science Review:

    Articles:

    Marine birds

    More than 70 bird species regularly utilize Puget Sound during some or all stages of their life histories, but only a portion of these are actively being investigated.

    Brandt's cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus). Photo by Finley and Bohlman, courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Aves

    Order

    Gaviiformes

    Family

    Gaviidae

    Genus

    Gavia

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Colimbo PacĂ­fico - plongeon du Pacifique
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Gaviiformes - Gaviidae - Gavia - Frequently regarded as a subspecies of G. ARCTICA, but currently considered a distinct species (AOU 1985, 1998).

    See Stallcup (1994) for information on identification of North American loons.

    Migration
    false - false - true - Highly migratory (small flocks); some travel 12,000 miles/years (Oberholser 1974); others move only to coastal waters near breeding range. Main migration in California: November-early December, late April-May; in southern California, spring migration peaks sometimes between mid-April and early May (Russell and Lehman 1994). Arrives southeastern Alaska by early May, arctic coast early June (sometimes late May). Peak fall migration in arctic Alaska late August-September (Johnson and Herter 1989).
    Non-migrant
    false
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    Feeds on fishes as well as crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic insects; also eats aquatic seeds and some aquatic vegetation. Small shoal fishes often important in winter. Food obtained underwater during dives usually less than 1 minute. In some areas, nesting birds feed in lakes and ponds adjacent to their nest sites; in other areas, they make regular foraging flights to nearshore marine waters (Andres 1993).
    Reproduction Comments
    Breeding begins in early May in south, to mid-June in north. Both adults, in turn, incubate usually 2 eggs, 28-29 days. Hatching occurs in second half of July around Beaufort Sea (Johnson and Herter 1989). Young are tended by both parents, first fly at about 2 months, independent by about 3 months. Pair-bond apparently is life-long. Nest density is up to 2.6 per sq km in Alaska (Johnson and Herter 1989).
    Ecology Comments
    Occurs singly, in pairs, or small groups. In winter off California, usually solitary or in pairs. Overall breeding density on arctic coastal plain estimated at about 1 pair per 200 ha; 5 nests observed on 1 pond of 21 ha (Johnsgard 1987). Egg predation by foxes, jaegers, and gulls sometimes is significant.
    Length
    66
    Weight
    1659
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    1996-11-20
    Global Status Last Changed
    1996-11-20
    Other Status

    LC - Least concern

    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S4&CA.MB=S4&CA.NT=S4&CA.NU=SNR&CA.ON=S3&CA.QC=S3&CA.SK=__&CA.YT=S4&US.AL=__&US.AK=S5&US.AZ=__&US.CA=__&US.ID=__&US.IL=__&US.MN=__&US.NN=__&US.NM=__&US.NC=__&US.TX=__&US.UT=__&US.WA=__" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - BREEDS: eastern Siberia from Arctic coast south to Anadyrland; Arctic coast of Alaska and Canada east to Baffin Island, south to southern Alaska, southwestern Yukon, northern Manitoba, and northwestern Quebec. WINTERS: south to Japan and along Pacific coast of North America south to Baja California and southern Sonora. In North America, areas of highest winter density include British Columbia around Vancouver Island, Monterey Bay in California, and near Point Whiteshed in Alaska (Root 1988). Casual/uncommon migrant inland in western U.S., very rare on east coast (NGS 1983).
    Global Range Code
    H
    Global Range Description
    >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100814