Great Northern Diver
Gavia immer
Also known as: Common Loon, Great Northern Loon
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
5.0 kg
About This Species
A striking diving waterbird found on large lakes and coastal waters, it swims low and dives for fish for extended periods, resurfacing well away from where it went under. Its haunting, wailing calls, most often heard on breeding lakes, are one of the most evocative sounds in northern wetlands. Winter brings birds to coastal bays and estuaries, where calm, sheltered water offers the best viewing conditions.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Approach slowly and never by boat directly toward a diving bird, since it is easily flushed and can abandon nests or chicks if disturbed on breeding lakes.
- It receives legal protection in many countries across its range, including restrictions on boat speed and distance near nests in some jurisdictions, though exact rules differ by country and water body.
- Viewing from shore with binoculars is generally safer and less disruptive than approaching by watercraft.
LCAvesGaviiformesGaviidae
Seasonal Activity
3,011,540 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Gaviiformes
- Family
- Gaviidae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 5.0 kg
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.