Red-throated Loon

• It is the only diver able to take off directly from land.
• It carries small fish whole in its bill to feed its chicks.
• It breeds on Arctic tundra lakes and pools and winters on sea coasts.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat & environment

Lakes and pools of the Arctic and subarctic tundra while breeding, wintering on sea coasts across the northern hemisphere

Birth weight

Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure

Size at birth

Precocial, covered in dark down, able to swim soon after hatching

Sexual maturity

2-3 years

Gestation / incubation

24-29 days

Litter / clutch size

1 to 2 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; Birdfact; Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game; BirdBuddy Wiki; Wikipedia (Red-throated loon); Birds of the World; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; eBird

Best time: From November to March in coastal waters of the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic, when the northern winterers arrive.