Loon

From Conservapedia

The Loon is a large water bird on the Northern hemisphere. Of the five species, four live in North America, while one is an occasional visitor to Alaska.

Loons range in size between 25 and 34 inches long. They are normally grey or brown, except in the breeding season when the males of most species will sport feathers of deep black, flecked with white.

They mostly eat fish, and build their nests on the edge of the water, usually inland.

the cry of the Loon in summer is often cited as a representative feature of the far north.[1]

Species of Loon

• Red-throated Loon - the smallest species; the male has a red throat in the breeding season.
• Pacific Loon
• Arctic Loon - not normally resident in North America, but it sometimes breeds in Alaska.
• Common Loon - this species can be heard year round; the inly species to spend the winter far inland, in the south-eastern United states.
• Yellow-billed Loon - The largest species, and the most northerly, nesting only in Arctic areas of Siberia, Alaska and Canada.

Source

The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. (National Geographic Society 2002)