LOONS 



RED-THROATED LOON 



Gavia stellata { Poiitoppidaii) 



A. O. U. Xumljcr II See Color I'late j 



Other Names. — Sprat Loon, Kcd-tliroatcd Diver; 

 Little Loon; (.ape Race; Cape Racer; Scape-grace. 



General Description. — Lengtii, 2$ inches. Color 

 above, brownish-black with white spots ; below, white. 



Color. — .Adults in Summer: Crown and broad stripe 

 down back of neck, streaked in about equal amounts 

 with glossy greenish-black and white; throat, sidi's of 

 head, and sides of neck, clear 'a\inn gray with a tri- 

 angular chestnut patch on lozver throat; upper parts, 

 brownish-black with a green gloss, thickly spotted with 

 dull whitish; primaries, dusky; tail, dusky, narrowly 

 tipped with white; under parts, pure white, shaded 

 along sides and on under tail-coverts with dusky brown ; 

 bill, dusky lead color; feet, black; iris, hazel. Auults 

 IN Winter, and Younc: Crown and hindneck, bluish- 

 gray; sides of neck, mottled with brownish and white; 

 upper parts, brownish-black, ez'eryichere thickly marked 

 with small oval and linear spots of ichitish: chin, throat. 



sides of head, white; no colored throat patch; under 

 parts, as in summer; amount of spotting variable; in 

 young birds spots usually lengthened into oblique lines, 

 Iiroducing a rcjular diamond-shaped reticulation. 



Nest and Eggs.— Nest : On banks of small ponds; 

 a mere hollow in the ground. Ece.s : 2. from deep 

 reddish-brown to grayish-green, thinly spotted with 

 brownish-black. 



Distribution.— Northern part of northern hemi- 

 sphere; breeds from .•Maska across Arctic .•\merica to 

 Greenland, south to Commander Islands, western Aleu- 

 tian Islands, Glacier Bay, across British America to 

 New Brunswick and Newfoundland; winters from 

 southern British Columbia to southern California, and 

 from the Great Lakes and Maine to Florida ; rare in 

 the interior; breeds also in Arctic Europe and Asia, 

 and winters south to the Mediterranean and southern 

 China. 



The Red-throated Loon is mainly a salt-water 

 bird while it sojourns in Massachusetts, although 

 occasionally it is seen on some lake or river. 

 Probably, like many other birds, it was oftener 

 seen on fresh water in early times than now. It 

 is still not uncommon on the Great Lakes, and 

 David Brtice of Brockport, N. Y., stated that he 

 had found it on Lake Ontario during every month 

 of the year. In severe weather, when the lakes 

 freeze, this bird, like the Common Loon, is some- 

 times taken on the ice, from which it is unable 

 to rise, and is easily captured. In autumn it may 

 be seen in small jiarties or flocks floating and 

 feeding near our coasts. Like Grebes and some 



other water-fowl, it often lies on its side or back 

 while afloat, exposing its white under parts while 

 engaged in dressing or jireening the plumage. 

 This species migrates mainly along the coast in 

 autumn, but as it is not so commonly seen there 

 in spring, some portion of the flight may go 

 north through the interior. 



Its habits are similar to those of the Common 

 Loon. It is perhaps equally difficult to shoot on 

 the water. When surprised on land it seeks to 

 escape by a series of hops or leaps, using both 

 wings and feet. 



Edward Howe Forbush, in CaniL- Birds. 

 U'ikl-fo:^'! and Shore Bird.s. 



Photo by H. T. Middlctun 



BIRD-STUDYING 



\"lM,. I- 



