Loons (North American English) or divers (British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus Gavia, family Gaviidae and order Gaviiformes. Loons, which are the size of large ducks or small geese, resemble these birds in shape when swimming.

Common Loons are large, diving waterbirds with rounded heads and dagger-like bills. They have long bodies and short tails that are usually not visible. In flight, they look stretched out, with a long, flat body and long neck and bill. Their feet stick out beyond the tail (unlike ducks and cormorants), looking like wedges.

How do you tell the difference between a loon and duck? This article offers pointers to help you identify them using appearance, habitat, behavior, and voice.

2024年6月8日 · A Duck is a common waterfowl recognized by its broad flat bill, webbed feet, and typically compact body. In contrast, a Loon is a larger diving bird with a more streamlined body, sharp pointed bill, and legs set far back on its body, optimized for …

The common loon or great northern diver (Gavia immer) is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish or blackish-grey upperparts, and pure white underparts except some black on the undertail coverts and vent ...

A long-bodied, low-slung diver. Many people consider the loon a symbol of wilderness; its rich yodeling and moaning calls, heard by day or night, are characteristic sounds of early summer in the north woods. In winter, silent and more subtly marked, Common Loons inhabit coastal waters and large southern lakes.

2025年3月11日 · The simple answer is: a loon is not a duck because it belongs to a completely different order of birds, highlighting significant differences in their anatomy, behavior, and evolutionary history. While both are classified as waterfowl , or birds that frequent aquatic environments, loons are divers and ducks are not, leading to different ...

Common Loons are powerful, agile divers that catch small fish in fast underwater chases. They are less suited to land, and typically come ashore only to nest. On a North Woods lake in summer, loons stick out conspicuously as large, tuxedoed birds swimming about in the middle of the lake.

A loon is not a duck or a goose. Though it is a waterfowl, it is a diver, and is a different order than ducks or geese. A loon makes its living entirely in the water. Their nests are very close to shore because a loon, although very graceful in the water, is very clumsy on land.

2025年3月8日 · Is a Loon a Duck or a Bird? Unveiling the Truth About These Aquatic Wonders. The short answer is: a loon is not a duck, but it is indeed a bird. While they both share a love for water and are often seen swimming, they belong to entirely different branches of …