WhenToBird

2 loon species in Alaska

When Do Loons Arrive in Alaska?

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

Common Loons and Red-throated Loons are the loons you are most likely to see in Alaska. The Common Loon is in Alaska all year. It turns up on about 7.8% of checklists at its peak (early November) and on 4.1% in its quietest week (mid June).

When to look

PresentAll year
Peak weekNov 1-7early November
Quietest weekJun 15-21mid June

Best: early November. Here all year. Peak: on about 7.8% of Alaska checklists.

  1. Janpeak season
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octpeak season
  11. Novpeak season
  12. Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Loons in Alaska, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Common Loonall year–Nov 1-7–7.8%
Red-throated LoonApr 22-30May 8-14Jun 8-14Aug 22-317.2%
0%5%10%Common LoonRed-throated LoonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Common Loon
  • Red-throated Loon
Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Alaska that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Alaska

Best counties for Common Loon

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Aleutians East BoroughBest early November · 14 checklists that week, 1,634 in all37%
  2. Hoonah-Angoon Census AreaBest the second week of December · 67 checklists that week, 8,159 in all34%
  3. Wrangell City and BoroughBest the second week of November · 23 checklists that week, 2,509 in all31%
  4. Prince of Wales-Hyder Census AreaBest the second week of November · 33 checklists that week, 2,822 in all30%
  5. Kodiak Island BoroughBest early January · 240 checklists that week, 11,483 in all27%
  6. Petersburg BoroughBest early March · 107 checklists that week, 6,063 in all21%

Common questions

When do loons arrive in Alaska?
The Common Loon is in Alaska all year. It turns up on about 7.8% of checklists at its peak (early November) and on 4.1% in its quietest week (mid June).
When do loons leave Alaska?
The Common Loon does not leave Alaska: it is reported all year, from 4.1% of checklists in mid June to 7.8% in early November.
When is the best time to see loons in Alaska?
The Common Loon is reported most often in early November, on about 7.8% of Alaska checklists.
Which loons are in Alaska?
Common Loon and Red-throated Loon are reported regularly; the Common Loon is the most common.