Yellow-Billed Loon

Look for this large, pale-billed diver on open arctic tundra lakes in summer and coastal bays or inlets in winter, where it spends most of its time swimming low on the water and making long, deep dives for fish. The ivory-colored, upward-angled bill and the pale, almost whitish head and neck in winter plumage are the key visual markers; listen for the haunting, yodeling wail and guttural calls that carry well across open water, particularly during the breeding season. Peak viewing opportunities come at dawn and dusk when feeding activity intensifies — summer visits to Alaskan or Siberian breeding grounds offer the most dramatic observations, while wintering birds can be found with patience along Pacific or Norwegian coastlines from November through March.