Loon Research
Science Center Objects
Scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center have conducted research on Alaska’s three loon species since the late 1970s. Loons rely on freshwater lakes for nesting habitat and fish and invertebrates inhabiting lakes and marine ecosystems for food. All three loon species in Alaska occur within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) on Alaska’s northern coast. Research by the USGS is informing distribution and abundance of loons in northern Alaska and how they may respond to environmental and human changes to the northern landscape.
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A Red-throated Loon swimming in a small lake on the Colville River Delta.
(Credit: Ryan Askren, USGS. Public domain.)
The main objectives of the USGS Alaska Science Center loon research program are to:
- Provide ecological and demographic information on Alaska’s three loon species.
- Determine mechanisms for population trends, particularly for the Red-throated Loon (declines noted across much of Alaska) and the Yellow-billed Loon (a candidate species for listing as ‘threatened’ from 2009 to 2014).
- Provide science information to Department of Interior management agencies and others for their decision-making regarding loons.
Decisions Informed
Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
The Yellow-billed Loon
The Yellow-billed Loon, known in Europe as the White-billed Diver, is a relatively rare bird nesting in arctic tundra regions of North America and Eurasia. This species was first described by G. R. Gray in 1859 (1), and named (Gavia adamsii) after the surgeon Dr. Edward Adams (who collected the first specimen) aboard the H.M.S. Enterprise...
Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Mike North; Schmutz, Joel A. Spatio-temporal population change of Arctic-breeding waterbirds on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Rapid physical changes that are occurring in the Arctic are primary drivers of landscape change and thus may drive population dynamics of Arctic-breeding birds. Despite the importance of this region to breeding and molting waterbirds, lack of a comprehensive analysis of historic data has hindered quantifying avian population change. We estimated...
Amundson, Courtney L.; Flint, Paul L.; Stehn, Robert A; Platte, Robert; Wilson, Heather M.; Larned, William W.; Fischer, Julian B. Serologic evidence for influenza A virus exposure in three loon species (Gavia spp.) breeding in Alaska
Limited information exists about exposure to influenza A viruses (IAVs) in many wild waterbird species, including loons. We analyzed serum samples from breeding adult Pacific (Gavia pacifica), Red-throated (Gavia stellata), and Yellow-billed (Gavia adamsii) loons sampled at three locations along the coast of Alaska, US from 2008 to 2017 to gain a...
Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Spivey, Timothy J.; Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Jiang, Kaijun; Wan, Xiu-Feng; Ramey, Andrew M. Comparative nest survival of three sympatric loon species breeding in the Arctic
Identifying factors influencing nest survival among sympatric species is important for understanding and managing sources of variation in population dynamics of individual species. Three species of loons nest sympatrically in northern Alaska and differ in body size, life history characteristics, and population trends. We tested the effects of...
Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Koch, Joshua C.; Wright, Kenneth G.; Schmutz, Joel A. International migration patterns of Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) from four breeding populations in Alaska
Identifying post-breeding migration and wintering distributions of migratory birds is important for understanding factors that may drive population dynamics. Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) are widely distributed across Alaska and currently have varying population trends, including some populations with recent periods of decline. To...
McCloskey, Sarah E.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Fondell, Thomas F. A suspended dive-net technique for catching territorial divers
A variety of methods such as night-lighting and lift nets have been used to catch divers (Gavidae), although 24-hour daylight in the Arctic summer and the remote nature of field sites can make the use of these traditional methods impossible. Our research required capture of adult divers at remote locations in northern Alaska. Here we describe a...
Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Rizzolo, Daniel; Wright, Kenneth G.; Schmutz, Joel A. Diet of yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii) in Arctic lakes during the nesting season inferred from fatty acid analysis
Understanding the dietary habits of yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii) can give important insights into their ecology, however, studying the diet of loons is difficult when direct observation or specimen collection is impractical. We investigate the diet of yellow-billed loons nesting on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska using quantitative fatty...
Haynes, T B; Schmutz, Joel A.; Bromaghin, Jeffrey F.; Iverson, S J; Padula, V. M.; Rosenberger, A E Nest visits and capture events affect breeding success of Yellow-billed and Pacific loons
Accurate estimates of breeding success are essential for understanding population dynamics and for managing populations. Unfortunately, research activities to collect these data can negatively impact the breeding success of the study species and bias estimates of breeding success. Despite the potential for negative impacts, few studies have...
Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Wright, Kenneth G. Fast and efficient: postnatal growth and energy expenditure in an Arctic-breeding waterbird, the Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)
Environmental conditions can exert a strong influence on the growth and energy demands of chicks. We hypothesized that postnatal growth in a cold, aquatic environment would require a high level of energy metabolism in semiprecocial Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) chicks. We measured body-mass growth and daily energy expenditure (DEE) of free-...
Rizzolo, Daniel; Schmutz, Joel A.; Speakman, John R. Occupancy of yellow-billed and Pacific loons: evidence for interspecific competition and habitat mediated co-occurrence
Interspecific competition is an important process structuring ecological communities, however, it is difficult to observe in nature. We used an occupancy modelling approach to evaluate evidence of competition between yellow-billed (Gavia adamsii) and Pacific (G. pacifica) loons for nesting lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. With multiple...
Haynes, Trevor B.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Wright, Kenneth G.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Rosenberger, Amanda E. Size and retention of breeding territories of yellow-billed loons in Alaska and Canada
Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii) breed in lakes in the treeless Arctic and are globally rare. Like their sister taxa, the well-documented Common Loon (G. immer) of the boreal forest, Yellow-billed Loons exhibit strong territorial behavior during the breeding season. Little is known about what size territories are required, however, or how...
Schmutz, Joel A.; Wright, Kenneth G.; DeSorbo, Christopher R.; Fair, Jeff; Evers, David C.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Mulcahy, Daniel M. Historic and contemporary mercury exposure and potential risk to yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii) breeding in Alaska and Canada
The Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) is one of the rarest breeding birds in North America. Because of the small population size and patchy distribution, any stressor to its population is of concern. To determine risks posed by environmental mercury (Hg) loads, we captured 115 Yellow-billed Loons between 2002 and 2012 in the North American Arctic...
Evers, David C.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Basu, Niladri; DeSorbo, Christopher R.; Fair, Jeff; Gray, Carrie E.; Paruk, James D.; Perkins, Marie; Regan, Kevin; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Wright, Kenneth G.-
Date published: June 18, 2019Influenza A Antibodies in Pacific (Gavia pacifica), Red-throated (G. stellata), and Yellow-billed Loons (G. adamsii) in Alaska, 2008-2017
This data set contains three spreadsheets with results of Influenza A Virus (IAV) screening in blood from Pacific, Red-throated, and Yellow-billed Loons at three locations in Alaska. Loons were captured along the Beaufort Sea Coast, Chukchi Sea Coast, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta from 2008-2017. Three different tests were used and the results are presented in separate spreadsheets. All s
Attribution: States and Territories, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: December 19, 2018
Serological Data on Influenza A from Birds and Mammals on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Northern Alaska, 2011-2017
These data (in two spreadsheets) are the results of screening for influenza A viruses (IAV) in blood from wild animals that utilize the Arctic region of Alaska. 758 blood samples from nine wildlife species (3 mammal, 6 waterbird) were collected in Arctic Alaska, 2011-2017. Two different tests were used and the results are presented in separate spreadsheets. All blood samples were
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: December 31, 2017
Satellite Telemetry Data of Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) breeding on the Copper River Delta, Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Seward Peninsula, and Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2000-2011
This data release contains a spreadsheet with migration and wintering locations of Red-throated Loons marked with satellite transmitters from four breeding populations in Alaska, 2000-2011. Implanted internal platform terminal transmitters (PTT) were programmed to elicit signals for 8 hours followed by a quiescent period of 48 - 120 hours, depending on season and year of study. Location
Attribution: Alaska Science Center
Red-throated Loon swimming near the Colville River, Alaska
A Red-throated Loon swimming in a small lake on the Colville River Delta.
Pacific Loon swimming in a small lake near the Colville River, Alaska
A Pacific Loon swimming in a small lake on the Colville River delta.
Pacific Loon swimming in a small lake near the Colville River, Alaska
A Pacific Loon swimming in a small lake on the Colville River delta.
Pacific Loon take off
A Pacific Loon taking off from a small lake near the Colville River Delta in northern Alaska.
Yellow-billed Loon on a lake in the northern area of Alaska
Yellow-billed Loon on a lake in the northern area of Alaska.
Yellow-billed Loon swimming on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska
A Yellow-billed Loon swimming in a small lake on the Arctic Coastal Plain.