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Common Loon Range Map

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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)

Red-throated Loon

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Browse Species in This Family

More to Read

Living Bird Magazine
Spirit of the North: the Common Loon
Macaulay Library
I’m Here, Where Are You?: Wails of the Common Loon
K–12 Education
Top Thirteen Spooky Birds

Why are loons chasing each other across my lake?
Living Bird Magazine
Boreal Birds Need Half: A Look at the Numbers Behind the Conservation Campaign
You're seeing fewer hummingbirds at your feeder. Should you worry?

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Spirit of the North: the Common Loon

I’m Here, Where Are You?: Wails of the Common Loon

Top Thirteen Spooky Birds

Why are loons chasing each other across my lake?

Boreal Birds Need Half: A Look at the Numbers Behind the Conservation Campaign

You're seeing fewer hummingbirds at your feeder. Should you worry?