204 Vol. XXIV 
NOTES ON THE YELLOW-BILLED LOON 
By ALFRED M. BAILEY 
HE following notes on the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsi) were made 
in southeastern Alaska while I was carrying on field work for the Bio- 
logical Survey and are published with the permission of Dr. KE. W. Nel- 
son, Chief of that Bureau. 
The migration of the Yellow-billed Loon has long been one of the prob- 
lems of northern ornithological work and has been dealt with by numerous 
authors, Dixon (Auk, October, 1916) and Bent (Life Histories of North Am- 
erican Diving Birds, 1919) being the latest. The presence of this species in 
southeastern Alaska has been authenticated by the taking of a few specimens, 
but without positive notes for any extended period. Mr. George Willett has 
spent considerable time in the vicinity of Craig and Sitka since 1913, and has 
recorded the species but twice; one was seen in the winter of 1919, and an im- 
mature specimen was collected near Wrangell during the fall of 1920. Myr. 
Gray with 18 years active field work has never collected a specimen, although 
he has seen it a few times and has a specimen taken from a fish trap. 
As I had rather excepticnal opportunities for observing the water birds 
in southeastern Alaska during 1920, I was able to collect a series of nine of 
these rare loons and make many sight records ranging throughout the year 
except during the months of July and August. I first saw the yellow-bills at 
Oliver Inlet, on Admiralty Island, February 6. In my report for the trip I 
listed them as ‘“‘two abnormally large loons’’ which were noted flying up the 
Inlet. I identified these as Yellow-bills, but as I had never encountered the 
species prior to this time, and do not believe in sight records for rare species 
when one is not actually acquainted with the bird, I allowed the record to rest 
for future verification. I next saw an immature in Rocky Pass, between Kuiu 
and Kupreanoff islands, March 4; and again, the next day, while bucking a 
heavy wind in a blinding snow storm in the boat Auklet in Keku Straits, one 
came within a few feet of the bow of our boat. I again saw the species in the 
harbor at Wrangell on April 23, although I again failed to bring the bird to 
bag. It is to be emphasized that I identified these birds as Yellow-billed Loons 
at the time, but had no specimens to back the records. 
Any one who has attempted to collect loons knows that the element of 
luck plays a far greater part than skill, and if he guesses wrongly as to the 
direction a loon takes when diving the first time, he might as well give up the 
bird. It was not until May 25 that I secured any specimens. I saw a fine 
adult bird off Marmon Island, the lower point of Douglas Island; and shortly 
after, in Gastineau Channel, I collected a big female in full plumage (length, 
840 mm.; tarsus, 90; tail, 70; wing, 385). The ovaries of this specimen were 
undeveloped. Early the same morning, as we came down Stephens Passage, 
along Douglas Island, at least thirty loons were seen, but it was so foggy ] 
could not identify them. Yellow-bills were next seen June 10 between Doug- 
las and Admiralty islands, in Stephens Passage. There were three of them, 
two adults and an immature, of which I collected an adult and the immature. 
These birds appeared very conspicuous as they raised partly out of water, with 
wings outspread and strikingly colored beaks thrust skyward. Two other 
