Gaviidae – Loons | Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

Common (Gavia immer) by Ian

Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep. (Ecclesiastes 12:4)

Common Loon Duet by David Bradley – xeno-canto America

CLASS – AVES, Order – GAVIIFORMES, Family – Gaviidae – Loons

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Latest I.O.C. Version
Species (5)

Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
Black-throated Loon (Gavia arctica)
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica)
Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii)

On the photos or slides, a “by” indicates one of the photographers or videographers, who have given their permission, with links on our sidebar. Please visit their site to see many more fantastic shots, a “©©” copyright symbol indicates a photo from Creative Commons and ©WikiC is a Creative Commons photo from Wikipedia.

Photographers or Videographers used on this page from our sidebar, Photography, are:
Dave’s BirdingPix
Ian Montgomery’s Birdway
Jim Fenton
Ray’s Wildlife Photography

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Articles Mentioning Birds From This Family:

Peterson’s Field Guide Video Series on the Common Loon (Now the Great Northern Loon)

Other Websites that have photos of this Family:

Gaviidae – Loons (Divers) – OBI
Divers (Gaviidae) – IBC
Loon – Wikipedia
Gaviidae – Le quide ornitho

The loons (North America) or divers (UK/Ireland) are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia (Europe, Asia and debatably Africa). All living species of loons are members of the genus Gavia, family Gaviidae and order Gaviiformes.

The loon, the size of a large duck or small goose, resembles these birds in shape when swimming. Like ducks and geese but unlike coots (which are Rallidae) and grebes (Podicipedidae), the loon’s toes are connected by webbing. The bird may be confused with cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), not too distant relatives of divers and like them are heavy set birds whose bellies – unlike those of ducks and geese – are submerged when swimming. Flying loons resemble a plump goose with a seagull’s wings, relatively small in proportion to the bulky body. The bird holds its head pointing slightly upwards during swimming, but less so than cormorants do. In flight the head droops more than in similar aquatic birds. (Wikipedia with editing)

Some of the Family – Photos are Alphabetical down the columns: