# Common Loon (*Gavia immer*) The Common Loon is a striking bird with a black-and-white spotted back! It loves to dive underwater to catch fish and is known for its eerie calls. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 107 - **Habitat:** Lakes and northern waters - **Also known as:** Great Northern Diver ![Common Loon](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424560/objects/4618.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Loon has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a distinctive black head and bill, bright red eyes, and a striking black-and-white checkered back in breeding plumage. A white necklace band helps distinguish it from similar water birds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Gaviiformes - **Family:** Gaviidae - **Genus:** Gavia ## Interesting facts - Baby loons ride on their parents' backs for safety and warmth! - Loons are famous for their eerie, haunting calls, including a yodel! - They build floating nests near the water's edge to protect their eggs! - Unlike most birds, loons have solid bones, not hollow, to help deep dives! ## Special abilities - **Buoyancy Control:** Common Loons can adjust their buoyancy by expelling air from their lungs, allowing them to sink silently underwater. - **Underwater Propulsion:** Common Loons have powerful legs placed far back on their bodies that help them propel through water at high speeds. - **Long-Dive Stamina:** Common Loons can slow their heart rate and restrict blood flow to hold their breath for several minutes during dives. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 61-100 cm - **Wingspan:** 106-152 cm - **Weight:** 2.7-6.4 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-30 years - **Speed:** 120 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-3 - **Incubation:** 24-29 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding Hungry hunters, Common Loons feast mainly on fish and other small aquatic creatures. - **Age differences:** Chicks start with aquatic insects, gradually shifting to small fish as they grow. - **Primary Foods:** Perch, Minnows, Sunfish, Salamanders, Crayfish, Frogs - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Yellow Perch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-perch) (*Perca flavescens*) — A primary food source in freshwater lakes. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — Large pike can prey on young loon chicks. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Can predate on loon chicks or eggs. - **Depends on:** [American Beaver](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beaver) (*Castor canadensis*) — Beaver activity creates calm waters for nesting. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Loon? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Loon? 61-100 cm ### What is Common Loon's wingspan? 106-152 cm ### How much does Common Loon weigh? 2.7-6.4 kg ### How long does Common Loon live? 15-30 years ### How fast can Common Loon move? 120 km/h ### What does Common Loon eat? Hungry hunters, Common Loons feast mainly on fish and other small aquatic creatures. ### Where is Common Loon usually found? Lakes and northern waters ## Where to spot - [Algonquin Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/algonquin-provincial-park) — Ontario, CA · State Park - [Cape Lookout Coast Guard Station](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-lookout-coast-guard-station) — US · Historic Site - [Chestnut Ridge Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chestnut-ridge-park) — New York, US · Park - [Coindre Hall Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coindre-hall-park) — New York, US · Park - [Connecticut College Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/connecticut-college-arboretum) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden - [Derryfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/derryfield-park) — New Hampshire, US · Park [View all places to see Common Loon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-loon) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Loon: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-loon)