The Red-throated Loon is the smallest and most lightly built loon in North America and the only one able to take flight directly from land, a skill useful on the small tundra ponds where it breeds. In breeding plumage it sports a distinctive chestnut-red throat patch. It often commutes long distances from small breeding ponds to larger lakes and coastal waters to feed.
Best time to see a Red-throated Loon
The best time to see a Red-throated Loon is January–May, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 8,000 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Red-throated Loon sightings near you
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