Stats

Lifespan

20-30 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Solitary, Pair

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

North America

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Common

About

The common loon is a large water bird that nests on quiet northern lakes. Its solid bones allow it to dive over two hundred feet deep to hunt for fish.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
2. 2.
   hatchling

   A naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
3. 3.
   juvenile

   A feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown with adult plumage.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Gaviiformes

Family

Gaviidae

Genus

Gavia

Species

Gavia immer