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What do loons look like in the winter?

What do loons look like in the winter?

In its winter plumage, the Common Loon is dark gray above with a white breast, belly, and wing linings. The bill is light gray, and the eyes dull to a deep reddish-brown.

Do loons change color in winter?

In the winter, loons change to a gray-brown color before they migrate.

Where can I see black guillemots?

Highest numbers of black guillemot can be found on the Shetland and Orkney islands, and down the west coast of Scotland. Small numbers can also be found on the Cumbrian coast at St Bees Head, along the N Ireland coast, and on the Isle of Man. Black guillemot can be seen all year round.

What does a guillemot bird look like?

The guillemot is chocolate-brown above and white below. A ‘bridled’ form occurs, where the eye is ringed with white, which extends as a line towards the neck. In winter, guillemots have white faces. The similar-looking razorbill is blacker in colour, and has a thicker and shorter bill.

What kind of plumage does a black guillemot have?

In adult nonbreeding plumage, mandtii and ultimus have snowy white body plumage; juvenile mandtii/ultimus have white-tipped secondary feathers, forming a white trailing edge to the wing. Some Black Guillemots that nest in western Greenland are mostly black in breeding plumage7, with little or no white on the wings.

When do Loons start to get their winter plumage?

A few Common Loons acquire almost full winter plumage by late September, many by mid-October and most by November, but some are still mostly in breeding plumage in late November. After migration to the winter range, adult loons molt all their primary and secondary feathers simultaneously and the birds are flightless for several weeks.

Where do black guillemots go in the winter?

After breeding, some remain near their nesting sites and forage in shallow open water or at the edge of ice that forms along shorelines. Other individuals disperse far from nesting areas. During winter, many Black Guillemots forage far from shore, at the edge of pack ice or in openings in the ice called polynyas.

What kind of loons live in southern Ontario?

There are also a small number of spring records of winter plumaged Pacific Loons in southern Ontario. When identifying a loon, keep in mind its plumage and molt. There are three main plumage types to consider: juveniles, molting adults and winter adults. Molts: Most adult loons are in body molt when seen in fall in southern Ontario.