74 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
State Records. —The Loon, breeding in the north and passing through New Mex¬ 
ico in migration, has been recorded near Las Vegas (Atkins, 1894, p. 77) and taken 
October, 1854, at Fort Thorn (Henry). It was also noted November 14-16, 1846, 
near Socorro ^Abert). On the Carlsbad Bird Reserve it was reported February 
18, 1914 (Wilder). lOn the Rio Grande Bird Reserve, two were seen November 
28, and one December 6, 1916 (Willett).]—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —Close to water, preferably on an islet, but sometimes on drift or a musk¬ 
rat house, and often in flags; at times merely a depression, at others a bulky 
mass of flags and sedge. Eggs: Two, grayish olive-brown, thinly spotted with 
blackish, occasionally with heliotrope shell marks. 
General Habits. —Large and conspicuously marked, when not liv¬ 
ing on unfrequented fresh-water rivers and lakes the Loons resort to large 
bodies of water, where by diving and swimming long distances under the 
surface they are able to elude all enemies. Here, sometimes on the 
floor of an islet, sometimes in the hollowed-out top of a nearly submerged 
muskrat house, they lay their eggs and hatch their two young, ready, 
on alarm, to drop off into the water and swim away. 
As they migrate by day they are among the rare, delightful possibili¬ 
ties of the observer in New Mexico. Flying high, usually singly or in 
pairs, they may be distinguished from the Canada Geese by their snowy 
underparts, straight flight, and their characteristic loud wild “ wah-ho - 
oo,” given as they pass swiftly on. 
Additional Literature.—Beebe, William, Auk, XXIV, 34-41, 1907 (loon 
chicks). Bent, A. G., U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 107, 47-60, 1919.— Brewster, 
William, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, LXVI, 43-53, 1924.— Job, H. K., 
Among the Water-Fowl, 43-49, 1902.— Norton, A. H., Educational Leaflet 78, 
Nat. Assoc. Audubon Soc.— Sim, R. J., Bird-Lore, XXV, 167-175, 1923— Taver¬ 
ner, P. A., Birds of Western Canada, 39-41, 1926. 
PACIFIC LOON: G£via 6rctica pacifica (Lawrence) 
Description.— Length: About 24 inches, wing 11.2-12.2, bill 2-2.3. Adults 
in summer plumage: Similar to that of the Loon, but top and back of head and neck 
smoke gray or whitish , and back black with four series of white bars. Adults in 
winter plumage: Back brownish with white markings absent or only suggested, 
throat and sides of head to nape white, usually with brown lines across upper throat. 
1 oung m first winter plumage: Similar to winter adults but back “scaly” from 
broad gray feather margins, and throat and sides of head streaked or mottled. 
Range.— In America breeds from Bering Sea. northwestern Alaska, and Melville 
Peninsula south to Hudson Bay, southern Mackenzie, and British Columbia 
(summer records perhaps only non-breeding birds); winters mainly along the 
Pacific coast from British Columbia to Lower California; casually in New Mexico, 
Arizona, and northeastern part of United States (also Pacific coast of Asia). 
State Records.— The Pacific Loon is a western species breeding in the Arctic 
regions and wintering on the Pacific coast, but an accidental visitant was taken in 
November, 1899, near Clayton and is now preserved in the museum of the Agri¬ 
cultural College at Fort Collins, Colorado.—W. W. Cooke. 
. General Habits.— The Pacific Loons are said to reach their breed¬ 
ing places in the Barren Grounds and on the shores of the Arctic Sea 
