Arctic Loon Life History

Habitat

Arctic Loons breed primarily in the boreal forest of northern Europe and Asia. They nest along large, deep, freshwater lakes with small islands, peninsulas, or other protected nesting sites. In their limited breeding range in western Alaska, however, these loons inhabit brackish lakes, tidal bays, and lagoons. During the nonbreeding season, Arctic Loons occur on calm, protected coastal waters.

Food

Arctic Loons feed mainly on fish, including gobies, sticklebacks, herring, cod, perch, and trout. Some nesting birds supplement their fish diets with crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatic insects. Foraging loons make shallow dives of 3–6 meters (10–20 feet), using their feet to propel themselves underwater in pursuit of fish.

Nesting

Nest Placement

Usually placed on an island, less than 1 meter (3 feet) from water. Some nests are built in shallow water up to 10 meters (33 feet) from shore, but these sites are dry by the time the female lays eggs.

Nest Description

Typically a shallow cup formed from a pile of moss or aquatic vegetation.

Nesting Facts

Behavior

Arctic Loons are excellent swimmers and divers. To dive, this species stretches its neck fully upward and then jumps up slightly before plunging underwater. It typically uses just its feet to swim. Pairs are likely monogamous and form lifelong pair bonds. Breeding pairs are territorial, normally claiming all water within a 50–150 hectare (120–370 acre) area. Both sexes contribute to nest building, incubate the eggs, and feed the young, although the male performs most of the nest construction and the female spends more time on the eggs. The male may also build up to three false nests while building the true nest. The chicks are downy when they hatch after 28–30 days. They spend a few nights sleeping on the nest before moving to nearby water, where they initially sleep under parents’ wings. Young birds learn to catch fish after 60–70 days and become independent when they leave their breeding site. During the nonbreeding season, Arctic Loons often occur alone or in pairs. When they do gather in winter, Arctic Loons tend to form smaller, looser groups than the similar Pacific Loon, which sometimes flocks in the hundreds.

Conservation

Partners in Flight estimates Arctic Loon’s global population size at 590,000 breeding individuals and rates the species an 11 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a species of low conservation concern. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists Arctic Loon’s conservation status as Least Concern. Although this loon’s population trend appears to be decreasing, this species has a very large population size and an extremely large range.

Credits

BirdLife International. 2018. Gavia arctica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22697834A132606505. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697834A132606505.en.

Dunne, P. (2006). Pete Dunne's essential field guide companion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, USA.

Jonsson, L. (1992). Birds of Europe: with North Africa and the Middle East. Christopher Helm, London, United Kingdom.

Partners in Flight. 2024. Avian Conservation Assessment Database, version 2024. Available at http://pif.birdconservancy.org/ACAD.

Russell, R. W. (2020). Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.arcloo.01

Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.

Svensson, L., K. Mullarney, and D. Zetterström (2009). Collins Bird Guide. Second edition. HarperCollins, London, UK.

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