Tweeters;

I am responding to the questions regarding the common loon images that were posted by Marian Murdoch.

Both of the common loon images are of adults that are losing their alternate/breeding plumage and molting into basic/winter plumage. The basic/winter plumage molt will show the bill losing its black color and becoming mostly ivory-gray with a darkened culmen or black border along the upper mandible. A darkening around the middle where the mandibles close can be observed on adults. Lighter feathers are seen around the bill and eye and the neck pattern appears as a "Z" notch rather than the black and white stripes/neckband. The white-spotted feathers begin to be replaced by gray unspotted feathers. This transition occurs when the loon is just leaving its breeding territory and the molt progression continues to the wintering territory.

Juvenile plumage (first-year) is noted by scalloped-appearing feathers with cream edges and a maghogany brown eye. The bill is ivory gray with the darkened culmen appearing on the mandible. Second year juvenile plumage will show unscalloped gray feathers with some lightening of spot areas. Adults plumage is observed at three years of age, though a small number of two-year-old banded common loons have returned with almost full alternate/breeding plumage. (This is one year earlier than the norm.)

Adult loons have red eyes during the breeding season which remains during the winter, though as a rusty-red color. First-year juveniles will have a mahogany-colored eye developing into a rusty-red at two years of age, then red as an adult.

Hope that this helps and we would appreciate any common loon location or information during the fall and winter months along the migration pathway of the Columbia River, Puget Sound region, and the WA Pacific Ocean shoreline.

Ginger Gumm, Daniel Poleschook, Jr., Darwin Long
WA Common Loon Conservation, BRI
ggloon at msn.com<about:blank>
509-939-9699