Common Loon Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesCommon Loon
Breeding adult
Long-bodied waterbird with a hefty bill. Sits low in the water. Breeding birds have a black-and-white striped collar and a checkerboard back.
© Christian Hagenlocher / Macaulay LibraryVermont, June 23, 2020Nonbreeding adult/immature
Hefty daggerlike bill. Nonbreeding/immature birds often have a pale collar as seen on this bird—a spur of white extending on the dark neck.
© Marky Mutchler / Macaulay LibraryMissouri, November 10, 2020Breeding adult and juveniles
Feet are positioned far back on the body to aid in diving, but this makes walking on land very difficult. Nests are close to the water's edge on undisturbed freshwater lakes.
© Galatee Films / Macaulay LibraryJune 30, 2000Nonbreeding adult/immature
In flight, has a bulky profile with large feet trailing behind.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 24, 2016Immature
Winters along ocean coasts, usually fairly close to shore and in bays and estuaries.
© Martine Stolk / Macaulay LibraryNorth Carolina, January 31, 2019Breeding adult
Flies with steady, shallow wingbeats. Note narrow, pointed wings and long trailing feet.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 01, 1997Breeding adult
Large-bodied loon with a hefty bill and flat head. Breeding birds have a black-and-white striped collar and a checkerboard back.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, April 25, 2020Molting adult
Nonbreeding birds are often brownish above and show a pale partial collar on the neck.
© Mike Cameron / Macaulay LibraryTexas, March 15, 2020Nonbreeding/immature
Feeds by diving; may dip head into water to look for prey while sitting on the surface. This video has no audio.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 01, 2012Breeding adult and juvenile
Chicks accompany adults for several weeks and often ride on the back of an adult when very young.
© Julie Filiberti / Macaulay LibraryVermont, July 16, 2017Breeding adult
Breeds in freshwater lakes.
© Brian Collins / Macaulay LibraryWisconsin, June 20, 2017Breeding adult with juvenile
Young chicks often ride on the backs of adults.
© Galatee Films / Macaulay LibraryJune 30, 2000Nonbreeding adult/immature
A bulky loon with a hefty bill and a rather flat head.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, December 13, 2015Habitat
Breeds on clear lakes across Canada and the northern United States.
© Peter Hawrylyshyn / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, June 21, 2015Similar SpeciesPacific Loon
Breeding adult
Pacific Loons are smaller with a thinner bill than Common Loons. Breeding birds have a barred back and vertical barring on the neck whereas breeding Common Loons have a checkered back and a striped collar.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 26, 2013Similar SpeciesPacific Loon
Nonbreeding/immature
On the neck of nonbreeding/immature Pacific Loons, the gray meets the white in a straight line running down the neck, whereas for Common Loons in winter, this smooth pattern is broken by a partial white collar.
© Nigel Voaden / Macaulay LibraryEngland, January 22, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-throated Loon
Breeding adult
Red-throated Loons are smaller with a thinner bill than Common Loons. They also tends to hold their dainty bills pointed upward, above horizontal.
© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 28, 2014Similar SpeciesRed-throated Loon
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Red-throated Loons are smaller with a thinner bill and more white on the face than Common Loons. They also tends to hold their dainty bills pointed upward, above horizontal.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, March 26, 2015Similar SpeciesYellow-billed Loon
Breeding adult
Breeding Yellow-billed Loons have a thicker yellow bill than Common Loons that have a slimmer black bill.
© Jeff Dyck / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, October 10, 2016Similar SpeciesYellow-billed Loon
Immature
Yellow-billed Loons are larger than Common Loons with a blockier head. Immature Yellow-billed Loons also have a paler bill than immature Common Loons.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 01, 2012Similar SpeciesDouble-crested Cormorant
Nonbreeding
Double-crested Cormorants have more slender, orange or yellow bills with hooked tips (the hook can be hard to see at distance). They are more uniformly dark than Common Loons.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, July 16, 2016Similar SpeciesWestern Grebe
Adult
Western Grebes have much longer necks than Common Loons, with needlelike yellowish bills.
© Amanda Guercio / Macaulay LibraryManitoba, May 15, 2014Similar SpeciesCommon Merganser
Breeding male
Male Common Mergansers show considerably more white on the body than Common Loons, and in flight both sexes show white patches in the wings that Common Loons lack.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, January 26, 2013Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
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