Loons

Red-throated Loon

Sterntaucher

Gavia stellata

Loons2 photosFirst seen: 11 July 2026

The Red-throated Loon is the smallest loon and has a slender, slightly upturned bill. Breeding adults show a grey head and red throat, while winter birds are grey and white. It nests on small northern ponds but often flies to larger lakes or the sea to find fish. The species can take off from shorter stretches of water than other loons. Its legs are set far back on the body, making movement on land difficult.

ID tip: In winter, the combination of a thin, pale, uptilted bill and white extending above the eye separates it from the bulkier, darker-faced Common and Pacific Loons.

First seen: 11 July 2026 · Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area · 2 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area11 July 2026

Family: Loons (Gaviidae)
Length: 53–69 cm
Wingspan: 91–120 cm
Regional status: Winter visitor (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Sheltered saltwater bays and inshore Puget Sound
Diet: Small fish; some crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Red-throated Loon

Places in my records

Selected photographs