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Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellata
Gaviidae
Visits Salter Grove in its non-breeding plumage
A thin grayish bill, long body and short neck distinguishes it from ...
... the Red-necked Grebe which has a yellowish dagger-like bill
Red-throated Loon is smaller than more massive Common Loon
Feet set far back on body are great for ...
... diving and hunting fish, its main prey
Drab appearance at Salter Grove belies ...
... the elegant breeding plumage marked by ...
... a rusty red triangle on the throat that sets off ...
... the black, gray and white areas of the body
The Red-throated Loon is the smallest and lightest loon species
It lifts off quickly without much pattering
Unlike other loons, it can even take off directly from land
Breeds on vegetation at margin of small food-poor ponds
Nest placement allows easy access for parents
Clutch of 1-2 eggs safe from predators in small ponds but ...
... parents have to commute to find enough food for ...
.. feeding themselves and growing juveniles
Family moves from breeding pond once young are mobile
Maturing juvenile has non-breeding plumage of adult

The long-bodied and short-necked Red-throated Loon is an uncommon visitor to Salter Grove during the colder months.  It is usually solitary and is inconspicuous in its gray winter plumage, especially on a cloudy day when the water in both North and South Coves presents a gray backdrop.

Getting to see it again after it dives to hunt for fish requires scanning the water for some time because it may stay under for over a minute only to resurface at some distant point.

With a grayish bill constantly tilted upwards, and white around the eye and down the front of its neck, the Red-throated Loon is distinct from the smaller Red-necked Grebe, which has a yellowish dagger-like bill, and a shorter body.

At a distance, the Red-throated Loon might be mistaken for the larger Common Loon which is a more frequent visitor to the park.  However, the two can be distinguished by the darker plumage of the Common Loon which also has a relatively more massive body and bill.  Moreover, the smaller Red-throated Loon is marked by abundant white speckles on the lighter grayish brown plumage of its back.

The Red-throated Loon is the smallest and lightest of loons.  Unlike the larger species, it does not need to patter on open water for a long distance to become airborne and can even take off directly from land.  As in other loons, its feet are set far back on its body which is great for maneuverability in the water but prevents it from walking with ease.  Nevertheless, it is able to move for some distance overland by gliding forward on its breast while pushing with its feet.

Larger loon species require large bodies of deep water so parents can swim safely to and from hidden nest sites.  On the other hand, the relatively land-worthy Red-throated Loon is able to breed in smaller bodies of water where there may be fewer nest predators such as larger breeding birds.  Because the smaller nesting ponds usually contain less food, it may have to fly some distance to feed in larger lakes or on the coast.  Even before the young can fly, they can glide on their breasts alongside their parents to move to a larger food-filled water body.

The Red-throated Loon is the most widely distributed of all the loons.  It breeds in the marshes and bogs of Arctic Eurasia and North America.  American populations winter along both coasts as far south as coastal northern Mexico.  Northern European populations migrate as far south as Spain, and Siberian populations winter as far south as Japan and Taiwan.

Its breeding grounds have not been much disturbed by humans because of their remoteness.  The same cannot be said for its wintering grounds where it is subject to environmental contaminants, oil spills, collision with off-shore wind farms, and entanglement with large commercial fishing nets.