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GAVIIFORMES 
9. Arctic Loon, le huart arctique. Gairia arctica. L, about 24. Similar to, but 
smaller than, the Common Loon, from which it differs in colour principally on the crown 
and hindneck (Figure 74), dark grey on the forehead but gradually becoming a light smoky 
ash down the hindneck. 
Distinctions. General colour as above, in adults. Juveniles 
are distinguished from the Common Loon by their distinctly 
smaller size and from the Red-throated Loon, with which they 
agree closely in that particular, by the general coloration; in 
juvenility and winter plumages, by the lack of fine, V-shaped 
white specks on the back. 
Field Marks. The grey hindneck, and black throat and 
foreneck should make excellent field marks. In juvenile plumage, 
size separates it from the two big loons, and, when determinable, 
the unspeckled back distinguishes it from the Red-throated. 
Nesting. Similar to the other loons. 
Distribution. In summer an inhabitant of the far north 
from Lake Athabaska northward. In migration rarely down 
through the prairies, but wintering in numbers on the British Columbia coast. Of only 
occasional occurrence in southeastern Canada. 
SUBSPECIES. The Arctic Loon is a circumpolar species. The common American 
form is the Pacific Loon (le Huart a gorge noire d’Amdrique) Gavia arctica pacifica , 
formerly given in the Check-list as a full species, but now acknowledged to be only sub- 
specifically distinct from the Black-throated Loon of Europe, which has crown and hind- 
neck uniformly coloured. A third, Asiatic race, Green-throated Loon (le Huart a gorge 
verte) G. arctica viridigidaris, has been described and should be looked for on the west coast. 
It is characterized by having green instead of purple reflections on the throat. 
11. Red-throated Loon, le huart a gorge rocsse. Gavia stellata. L, 25. This 
is similar in size to the Arctic Loon and decidedly smaller than the Common Loon. It is 
without the intensely black and white colour pattern of either. 
The head and neck of the adult are of soft, even, slate-grey with a 
maroon-red throat patch (Figure 75). The back is an even, greyish 
brown, the rest of the body white. 
Distinctions. The colour pattern is absolutely distinctive in 
the adult. Juveniles and winter birds are without the grey neck 
and red throat, these colours being replaced by white which con- 
tinues unbroken from the underparts, producing a coloration very 
similar to the Arctic except that the back is sprinkled with small, 
white specks instead of grey feather edgings. The species is so 
much smaller than the two large loons that there can be little 
confusion with them. 
Field Marks. The grey head and neck, red throat patch, and 
evenly coloured back make good field marks for the adult. In 
juvenility and in winter, size should separate it from all except the Arctic Loon; when it 
can be seen the finely speckled back is conclusive. 
Nesting. Similar to the preceding species. 
Distribution. Ranges over the whole of Canada, scarce in the interior, more common 
on either coast. Breeds north of regular settlement through the Arctics. 
Order — Colymbiformes. Grebes 
General Description. Grebes are divers with feet lobed and not fully webbed, and 
without perceptible tails. Instead of full webs extending from toe to toe, as in most swim- 
ming birds, the digits are provided with a scalloped edging of flat, lobe-like flaps or processes 
hinged to the toe (Figure 14, page 26). These make excellent paddles during the stroke 
and, folding away, offer the minimum of resistance to the water on the return. Their 
wonderful diving ability has given these birds the common sobriquets of Hell-diver, Water- 
witch, etc., but they are almost helpless on land. All our grebes have the secondaries more 
or less tipped with white, making a white border to the spread wing, absent in the loons. 
Distinctions. Scalloped toe webs, short tail, straight, pointed bill, and the peculiar 
silvery sheen of the feheatrs of the underparts. 
Field Marks. Duck-like in outline and bearing. Pointed bill and inconspicuous tail. 
Feet carried straight out behind when flying. 
Nesting. In reeds or rushes bordering sloughs or ponds, on floating or stationary 
heaps of vegetable matter. 
Figure 75 
Red-throated Loon; 
scale, about j. 
Figure 74 
Arctic Loon; scale, 
about f. 
