Where does the common loon nest and breed?
Common loons do not breed in the Bay watershed; their breeding grounds are in Canada and the Great Lakes region of the United States. There, they nest on land by the edge of woodland lakes and ponds. • When they arrive to the Bay in late autumn, common loons are in their winter plumage. • By the time they return to the Bay in late winter from points southward, most loons will have taken on their breeding plumage. Immature common loons look similar to adults in their winter plumage, but have a more strongly indented neck pattern and scaly-looking feathers on the back. Other facts about the common loon: • The common loon can be confused with the double-crested cormorant. You can distinguish a common loon by its straight, pointed bill, which it holds horizontally.
