Pacific Loon

Gavia pacifica (Lawrence, 1858)

58–74 cmLength110–128 cmWingspan2.3 kgWeight

In breeding plumage, it has a gray head, black throat and a back patterned like a black-and-white chessboard.

Busiest months: November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Head gray and throat black in breeding plumage
Back black-and-white checkered and underparts white in breeding plumage
No white patches on the flanks
Chin and front of neck white in non-breeding plumage

Male, female and young

Immature has dark gray-brown upperparts, with a little white on the feather edges.

Voice

Gives a short shriek while hunting; also gives loud wails in the breeding season.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Pacific Loon has been recorded at 248 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 11 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States13,393 records
Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States6,451 records
GambellUnited States3,421 records

More places

Point No PointUnited States3,338 records
Pt. Reyes – Fish DocksUnited States2,008 records
Gardiner BeachUnited States1,910 records
Teslin Lake – Teslin Lake Bird ObservatoryCanada1,577 records
Clover PointCanada1,416 records
Pt. PinosUnited States1,284 records
Edmonds WaterfrontUnited States1,194 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Mexico Japan Russia South Korea Israel Norway

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Pacific Loon?

The Pacific Loon is about 58–74 cm long, with a wingspan of 110–128 cm and weighs around 2.3 kg.

Where does the Pacific Loon live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: high Arctic to subarctic: Yana and Indigirka rivers east to Chukotka (north-central, northeastern Siberia), Wrangel Island (north of northeastern Siberia), Alaska, west-central British Columbia, and northern Canada to Baffin Island and James Bay (northeastern, southeastern Canada). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Pacific Loon?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Pacific Loon endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Pacific Loon as Least Concern.

What does the Pacific Loon eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Pacific Loon in?

It belongs to the family Loons (Gaviidae), order Gaviiformes.

At a glance

Length: 58–74 cm
Wingspan: 110–128 cm
Weight: 2.3 kg
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 291 mm
Tail: 48 mm
Bill: 72 mm
Tarsus: 73 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Palearctic: high Arctic to subarctic: Yana and Indigirka rivers east to Chukotka (north-central, northeastern Siberia), Wrangel Island (north of northeastern Siberia), Alaska, west-central British Columbia, and northern Canada to Baffin Island and James Bay (northeastern, southeastern Canada)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2