Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Yellow-billed Loon

Gavia adamsii (Gray, GR, 1859)

77–100 cmLength145 cmWingspan4.9 kgWeight

The largest loon, it has an ivory-colored, upturned bill.

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: United States, Norway, Canada

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Bill ivory-colored and upturned, with a pale midline on the upper mandible
  2. White collar
  3. Iris red; legs and feet black

Voice

Calls sound like both crying and laughter; silent at sea, it gives falsetto shrieks on the breeding grounds.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May–June · Most records: United States, Norway, Canada

Yellow-billed Loon has been recorded at 113 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 20 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. GambellUnited States2,007 records
  2. St. Paul IslandUnited States723 records
  3. Lista FyrNorway188 records
More places
  1. Cherry Creek SPUnited States111 records
  2. HamningbergNorway103 records
  3. Vardø – uspesifisertNorway96 records
  4. Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States89 records
  5. Bodega Bay – harbor and immediate vicinityUnited States80 records
  6. Blackie SpitCanada71 records
  7. Point No PointUnited States42 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesNorwayCanadaSwedenUnited KingdomFinlandDenmarkJapan

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

About

The yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii), also known as the white-billed diver, is the largest member of the loon or diver family. Breeding adults have a black head, white underparts and a chequered black-and-white mantle. Non-breeding plumage is drabber with the chin and foreneck white.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Yellow-billed Loon?

The Yellow-billed Loon is about 77–100 cm long, with a wingspan of 145 cm and weighs around 4.9 kg.

Where does the Yellow-billed Loon live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: Arctic northwestern Russia from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka Peninsula; northwestern, northern Alaska and northern Canada to Nunavut (east-central Canada). It is most often recorded in United States, Norway and Canada.

When is the best time to see the Yellow-billed Loon?

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

Is the Yellow-billed Loon endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Yellow-billed Loon as Near Threatened.

What does the Yellow-billed Loon eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Yellow-billed Loon in?

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

At a glance

Length
77–100 cm
Wingspan
145 cm
Weight
4.9 kg
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
371 mm
Tail
61 mm
Bill
105 mm
Tarsus
85 mm

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

Range

North America, Palearctic: Arctic northwestern Russia from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka Peninsula; northwestern, northern Alaska and northern Canada to Nunavut (east-central Canada)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Loons Gaviidae
Genus
Gavia

Other birds in the genus Gavia

Red-throated LoonRed-throated LoonGavia stellataBlack-throated LoonBlack-throated LoonGavia arcticaPacific LoonPacific LoonGavia pacificaCommon LoonCommon LoonGavia immer
Yellow-billed Loon

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Jessie Aguilar. ↗

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