Common Loon Range Map

Overview
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Range Map
Sightings Map

Year-roundBreedingMigrationNonbreeding

Migration

Medium-distance migrant. Common Loons migrate from northern lakes to coastal ocean waters. Loons in western Canada and Alaska migrate to the Pacific Coast, from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands down past Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Loons from the Great Lakes region migrate to the Gulf of Mexico or Florida coasts. Loons from eastern Canada migrate to the Atlantic Coast.

Learn more at Birds of the World

Compare with Similar Species

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Pacific Loon

Red-throated Loon

Yellow-billed Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Western Grebe

Common Merganser

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Species in This Family

Loons(Order: Gaviiformes, Family: Gaviidae)

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More to Read

Living Bird MagazineSpirit of the North: the Common Loon
Macaulay LibraryI’m Here, Where Are You?: Wails of the Common Loon
K–12 EducationTop Thirteen Spooky Birds
Why are loons chasing each other across my lake?
Living Bird MagazineBoreal Birds Need Half: A Look at the Numbers Behind the Conservation Campaign
How to Provide Seeds and Shelter for Backyard Birds

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