Photo: Ómar Runólfsson / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellata
Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) — Grebes, Loons & Flamingos of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) is a member of the Gaviidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 1.5 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Gaviiformes
- Family Gaviidae Loons
- Genus Gavia
- Species stellata
Where it lives
High Arctic to subarctic: southwestern, southeastern Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Is., northern British Isles, northern Scandinavia, Svalbard (north of Norway), northern Russia to Chukotka Pen., Kamchatka and Sakhalin and south to Lake Baikal (eastern Russia); Aleutian Is., Alaska mainland to northwestern British Columbia, northern Canada to Ellesmere I. and Newfoundland (northeastern, southeastern Canada)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.5 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Gaviidae
- Order
- Gaviiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-throated Loon hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it swims and feeds in and around water.
Migration
The Red-throated Loon is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) is a species of loons in the family Gaviidae, order Gaviiformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — high Arctic to subarctic: sw, se Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Is., n British Isles, n Scandinavia, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Russia to Chukotka Pen., Kamchatka and Sakhalin and s to Lake Baikal (e Russia); Aleutian Is., Alaska mainland to nw British Columbia, n Canada to Ellesmere I. and Newfoundland (ne, se Canada).
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-throated Loon?
The Red-throated Loon is a very large bird that weighs around 1.5 kg.
Where does the Red-throated Loon live?
The Red-throated Loon is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL high Arctic to subarctic: sw, se Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Is., n British Isles, n Scandinavia, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Russia to Chukotka Pen., Kamchatka and Sakhalin and s to Lake Baikal (e Russia); Aleutian Is., Alaska mainland to nw British Columbia, n Canada to Ellesmere I. and Newfoundland (ne, se Canada), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Red-throated Loon belong to?
The Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) belongs to the Gaviidae family, in the order Gaviiformes.
What does the Red-throated Loon eat?
The Red-throated Loon hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Red-throated Loon migrate?
The Red-throated Loon is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Red-throated Loon endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-throated Loon make?
1 real field recording of the Red-throated Loon — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-throated Loon's range?
The Red-throated Loon has a mapped global range of about 16.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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