Pacific, Red-throated and Common Loons

Oshawa Harbour on Lake Ontario - 1 November 2011

Adult Pacific Loon molting into winter plumage. The large white spots on the back are remnants of breeding plumage. Oshawa Harbour on 1 November 2011. Pacific Loons breed on the Hudson Bay coast of northern Ontario and winter on the Pacific. They are a prized find in southern Ontario.

It had a distinctive chinstrap and a clear cut divide between the white foreneck and grey hindneck. Oshawa Harbour on 1 November 2011. It is more advanced into winter plumage than the Pacific Loon at Oshawa last year on 29 October 2010. See link at end below.

Hundreds of adult Common Loons were in various stages of body molt from breeding plumage to winter plumage. The above is molting the face and neck, but still retains much breeding plumage. Oshawa Harbour on 1 November 2011. Common Loon is Ontario's provincial bird.

This adult Common Loon has almost completed its body molt from breeding to winter plumage, retaining still a few white spots on the back. Oshawa Harbour on 1 November 2011

Thousands of Red-breasted Mergansers and gulls were feeding on Emerald Shiners. We could see these small fish were abundant in the water off the pier. The people fishing called them "bait fish".

Links

Small Winter Loon ID an article by Ron Pittaway and Michael King

Link to Pacific Loon at Oshawa Harbour on 29 October 2010

Pacific Loon with more breeding plumage and less molted into winter plumage. Photo by Janice Melendez