The Common Loon is the iconic bird of northern lakes, its haunting yodel and tremolo wails carrying across still water at dusk. Extraordinarily dense bones allow it to dive to depths of 200 feet and stay submerged for five minutes while chasing fish. It can barely walk on land because its legs are positioned far back on the body for diving efficiency.
Best time to see a Common Loon
The best time to see a Common Loon is January–June, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 38,424 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Common Loon? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Common Loon sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Common Loon? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Common Loon is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love birds? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.