WhenToBird

Gavia immer · Gaviidae

Common Loon: When and Where to See It

Adult Common Loon
Photo: Hungry-Sarracenia Photo, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Common Loon reaches Idaho first, around early September, and Texas last, around the second week of November.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%2%4%6%Jan 1-7: 3.4% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 3.3% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 3.3% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 3.1% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.9% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.6% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.2% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.5% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 2.2% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 2.3% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 2.6% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 3.5% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 4.1% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 3.9% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 3.5% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 2.8% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 2.3% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 1.8% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 1.8% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.7% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 1.4% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.3% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.3% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.3% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 1.5% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.4% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 1.4% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 1.4% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 1.4% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.4% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.4% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.2% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.2% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.2% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.2% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.3% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.6% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 1.9% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.3% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.6% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 4.5% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 4.9% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 4.6% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 4.4% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 3.8% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 3.3% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 2.9% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 3.4% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
WisconsinSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 8-14Dec 1-77.6%
MichiganSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 1-7Nov 22-307.3%
PennsylvaniaSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 8-14May 15-215.0%
District of ColumbiaSummer visitorMar 15-21Apr 8-14May 22-312.5%
MinnesotaSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 15-21Nov 8-149.9%
ColoradoPasses throughOct 15-21Nov 8-14Dec 1-74.8%
New JerseyWinter visitorOct 1-7Jan 15-21May 8-148.4%
New YorkWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 15-21May 1-77.3%
UtahWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Dec 1-75.0%
WyomingWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Dec 1-76.6%
South DakotaWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 1-7Nov 22-303.7%
NebraskaWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 8-14Dec 8-142.1%
Rhode IslandWinter visitorOct 8-14Dec 15-21Apr 8-1420%
DelawareWinter visitorOct 8-14Jan 8-14Apr 15-219.8%
IowaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 8-14Dec 8-147.4%
NevadaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 8-14Mar 1-73.3%
ConnecticutWinter visitorOct 15-21Jan 22-31Apr 15-2111%
New HampshireAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Nov 8-14Jan 15-2110%
OhioWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 15-21Jan 1-77.8%
MarylandWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 15-21May 1-76.3%
KansasWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 8-14Jan 8-143.9%
KentuckyWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 22-30Feb 1-74.0%
MissouriWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 8-14Jan 15-214.3%
West VirginiaWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 15-21Jan 8-142.7%
TennesseeWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 22-30Apr 1-78.6%
OklahomaWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 15-21Apr 8-144.7%
VirginiaWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 15-21Apr 15-214.6%
New MexicoWinter visitorOct 22-31Nov 8-14Jan 22-311.1%
MississippiWinter visitorNov 1-7Jan 15-21Apr 8-149.9%
AlabamaWinter visitorNov 1-7Dec 22-31Apr 22-305.3%
ArkansasWinter visitorNov 1-7Dec 1-7Apr 1-73.3%
North CarolinaWinter visitorNov 1-7Dec 1-7Apr 15-213.9%
GeorgiaWinter visitorNov 1-7Dec 1-7Apr 8-142.4%
South CarolinaWinter visitorNov 8-14Dec 15-21Apr 1-75.6%
FloridaWinter visitorNov 8-14Jan 15-21Apr 15-212.9%
LouisianaWinter visitorNov 8-14Feb 8-14Apr 1-72.8%
TexasWinter visitorNov 8-14Dec 8-14Apr 1-71.3%
IndianaWinter visitorMar 1-7Mar 22-31Apr 22-308.0%
IllinoisWinter visitorMar 8-14Mar 22-31Apr 22-305.6%
VermontWinter visitorApr 1-7Nov 1-7Jan 8-1410%
MontanaWinter visitorApr 1-7Oct 22-31Nov 22-308.5%
WashingtonWinter visitorAug 1-7Oct 22-31May 1-710%
IdahoWinter visitorSep 1-7Oct 22-31Dec 8-145.8%
OregonWinter visitorSep 1-7Nov 1-7May 8-145.4%
North DakotaWinter visitorSep 8-14Oct 22-31Nov 15-212.9%
MassachusettsWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 15-21Apr 22-3011%
CaliforniaWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 15-21May 22-314.0%
MaineYear-round–Jan 1-7–20%
AlaskaYear-round–Nov 1-7–7.8%

Winter visitor in: Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, Vermont, Montana, Washington

Summer visitor in: Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Minnesota