WhenToBird

Common Loon · Gavia immer

When Do Loons Arrive in Michigan?

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

Common Loons arrive in Michigan in mid March, peak in early April (7.3% of checklists), and most are gone by late November. They are the only regular loons in Michigan.

When to look

First arrivalsMar 15-21mid March
Common byMar 15-21mid March
PeakApr 1-7early April
Most gone byNov 22-30late November

Best: early April. First arrivals mid March; most are gone by late November. Peak: on about 7.3% of Michigan checklists.

  1. Jannot usually seen
  2. Febnot usually seen
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maycommon
  6. Juncommon
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepuncommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

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

Loons in Michigan, species by species

SpeciesFirst arrivalsCommon byPeakMost gone byPeak %
Common LoonMar 15-21Mar 15-21Apr 1-7Nov 22-307.3%
0%5%10%Common LoonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • Common 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 Michigan 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 Michigan

Best counties for Common Loon

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Lake CountyBest the second week of August · 68 checklists that week, 2,682 in all30%
  2. Ogemaw CountyBest early August · 83 checklists that week, 4,675 in all28%
  3. Baraga CountyBest early November · 55 checklists that week, 3,662 in all27%
  4. Schoolcraft CountyBest late July · 158 checklists that week, 3,719 in all25%
  5. Iron CountyBest the second week of August · 49 checklists that week, 2,651 in all25%
  6. Chippewa CountyBest the second week of October · 789 checklists that week, 28,128 in all24%

Common questions

When do loons arrive in Michigan?
Common Loons arrive in Michigan in mid March, peak in early April (7.3% of checklists), and most are gone by late November. They are the only regular loons in Michigan.
When do loons leave Michigan?
Most Common Loons have left Michigan by late November, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until early December.
When is the best time to see loons in Michigan?
The Common Loon is reported most often in early April, on about 7.3% of Michigan checklists.