Gavia stellata

(Red-Throated Loon)

Conservation Status

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Population Analysis

For the 56,576 species in the Class Aves (Birds), we average 371.87 observations each in our database; for the Red-Throated Loon, we have 3,097 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is somewhat common.
A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Red-Throated Loon is the same as the trend in observations of Aves. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=6.63, p<0.001)
How do observation rates of the Red-Throated Loon differ from those of Aves? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Aves that were observations of the Red-Throated Loon each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Red-Throated Loon are becoming more common relative to other species of Aves, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is negative (r=-.23), with a negative slope (m = -.001), suggesting that the Red-Throated Loon may be in decline relative to other species of Aves. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 53.93, p<.05)
The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Aves each year that were observations of the Red-Throated Loon.

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
    - Branch: Deuterostomia Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
      - Infrakingdom: Chordonia (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
        Phylum: Chordata Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
        Subphylum: Vertebrata Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
        Infraphylum: Gnathostomata auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
        Superclass: Tetrapoda Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
        Class: Aves Linnaeus, 1758 - Birds
        Subclass: Neornithes Gadow, 1893
        Infraclass: Neoaves
        Superorder: Passerimorphae
        Order: Ciconiiformes Bonaparte, 1854 - Albatrosses, Alcids
        Suborder: Ciconii
        Infraorder: Ciconiides
        Superfamily: Procellarioidea
        Family: Gaviidae J.A. Allen, 1897 - Divers
        Genus: Gavia J.R. Forster, 1788 - Loons
        Specific name: stellata (Pontoppidan, 1763)
        Scientific name: Gavia stellata (Pontoppidan, 1763)

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Physical Description

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Family Gaviidae:

Aquatic birds, with feet far back on the body, making them great swimmers on the water surface and underwater, and clumsy on land.

Adult:

Head: gray Bill: dark Curvature: upturned Shape: slender Neck: gray Foreneck: dull red patch Hindneck: thin black stripes Body: Back: gray with small, indistinct spots.

Size/Age/Growth:

About 24 to 27 inches long, with a wingspan of 42 to 45 inches. Adults weigh about 54.4 ounces.

Images:

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Photographer: Tim Bowman Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73388

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Photographer: Dave Menke Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73386

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Red-throated Loon on Nest Photographer: Steven C. Kaufman Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73390

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Red-throated Loon and Brood on Water Photographer: Steven C. Kaufman Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73389

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Red-throated Loon with Brood on Water Photographer: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73391

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Adult basic ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 67220

Gavia stellata Gavia stellata Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: February 05, 2007
Location Taken: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 211808

Distribution

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Range and Population

North America

Habitat

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Vegetation: freshwater marshes, coastal waters • Minimum Elevation: 0 meters • Maximum Elevation: 0 meters • Sensitivity to Disturbance: High.

Diet

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Primarily:

Fish Lesser Quantities of: Aquatic Invertebrates Reptiles or Amphibians Insects

Reproduction

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Clutch Size: 2
Length of Incubation: 24-29 days
Days to Fledge: 49-51
Number of Broods: 1

Migration

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migratory

Similar Species

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Arctic Loon, Pacific Loon

Members of the genus Gavia:

There are approximately 28 species and subspecies in this genus: G. adamsi · G. adamsii (Yellow-Billed Loon) · G. adamsii; immer · G. arctica (Arctic Loon) · G. arctica arctica (Arctic Loon) · G. arctica arcticus · G. arctica artica · G. arctica pacifica (Arctic Loon) · G. arctica vindigularis · G. arctica viridigularis (Arctic Loon) · G. artica · G. concinna · G. egeriana · G. fortis · G. howardae · G. immer (Common Loon) · G. immer elasson · G. immer immer · G. pacifica (Pacific Loon) · G. pacifica orientalis · G. pacifica pacifica · G. pacificia · G. paradoxa · G. pusilla · G. roseiventris · G. stellata (Red-Throated Loon) · G. stellata stellata · G. treticus

Bibliography

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Alsop, Fred J. III. Birds of North America - Eastern Region. First American Edition. Smithsonian Handbooks. DK Publishing, Inc. 2001.
Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, and A. L. Gardner 1987. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. Resource Publication, no. 166. United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C., USA. 79.
Ehrlich, P., Dobkin, D., and Wheye, D. (1988). The Birders Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc. (info on clutch size, length of incubation, days to fledge and number of broods.)
Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. (Length and wingspan info.)

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Notes

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Contributors:

Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 12, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 25 providers.

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:

Biologiezentrum der Oberoesterreichischen Landesmuseen, Biologiezentrum Linz
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, North West Territories and Nunavut Bird Checklist, Canada
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Ontario Nest Records
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal British Columbia Museum
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
New Brunswick Museum, NBM birds
Royal Ontario Museum, Bird specimens
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History

Identifiers:

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 174474
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13849779
Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABNBA01010
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 7210

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Last Revised: May 17, 2008