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Hampton Roads · Waterfowl Guide
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Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellata

A red-throated loon swimming in non-breeding plumage, showing its slender bill, gray-and-white head, and speckled back

Photo by Alan Schmierer, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 public domain dedication.

Unverified

Drawn from a named source but not independently confirmed. Double-check before relying on it.

Size/build and winter-plumage identification distinctions from common loon are directly confirmed against Cornell's own identification page and corroborated by an independent regional source (Bird Watcher's General Store) describing the same field marks. Federal protection is well-established general knowledge, not specific to a single fetched page. Regular winter presence alongside common loon reflects general regional knowledge, not individually fact-checked against a Virginia-specific source.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds · Last checked 2026-08-19

Protected — Not a Legal TargetWinter Visitor
Not a legal game species. Federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act — taking a red-throated loon is unlawful regardless of season, permit, or intent. Included in this guide specifically as an identification-safety entry alongside common loon, not as a huntable species.

A federally protected diving bird — not a legal migratory game bird — the smallest and slenderest North American loon, a regular winter visitor alongside the already-published common loon.

Field marks

  • Noticeably smaller and slenderer than common loon, especially through the neck — described by birders as looking like 'a gymnast' next to common loon's 'fullback' build.
  • Winter plumage: dark cap and hind-neck contrasting with a mostly white face and throat — more white on the face/neck than other loons, without the jagged dark/light border common loon shows.
  • Thin, slightly upturned bill often held at a slight upward angle, versus common loon's straight, heavier, dagger-like bill held level.
Habitat
Open Bay and nearshore ocean water in winter, the same habitat type common loon uses.

Conservation context

Protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, same as common loon; not managed as a game species anywhere in its range.

Similar species — check before you shoot

Identification alone never establishes that a bird may legally be taken. Confirm species (and sex, where a sub-limit depends on it) before shooting.

Commonly confused with

Common Loon

Ethical shot selection: Any uncertainty about whether a distant diving bird is a loon (of either species) or a legal duck/merganser should end the same way — do not shoot. Size/build and bill angle are the standard cues separating the two loon species from each other, but that distinction doesn't matter for the shoot/don't-shoot decision, since neither is legal.

This page is educational and does not certify that any specific bird may be legally taken at any specific time or place. Always confirm the current season, bag limit, and permit requirements at Licensing & Regulations →