From Opus

Alternative name: Pacific Diver

Photo by balticbird
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, June 2003

Gavia pacifica

[edit] Identification

Length 65-66cm, Wingspan 118cm Adult breeding: white-chequered black back and dove-grey head pale and throat patch has purple (not green) iridescence.
Adult non-breeding: dark-grey brown above clearly demarcated from white underparts but may lack conspicuous white flank patch seen on swimming birds.

[edit] Similar Species

Slightly smaller than the Arctic Loon/Black-throated Diver but smaller and with a finer bill.

Non-breeding
Photo by Sandpiper
Farnham, North Yorkshire, UK, February 2007

[edit] Distribution

Breeds in north-eastern Siberia and in northern North America from Alaska east to Hudson Bay. Winters off Japan and the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Baja California and commonly in the Gulf of California. May occur as a rare winter vagrant to the Atlantic coast but these birds may belong to Black-throated Diver.

Accidental vagrant in the eastern United States.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Breeds on medium-large lakes and winters at sea.

[edit] Behaviour

Non-breeding
Photo by Reader
Farnham, North Yorkshire, February 2007

[edit] Breeding

Breeds early-May to September (later in the north of their range). It builds nests beside water often on an island or spit, a shallow scrape or sometimes a substantial mound of vegetation built in shallow water. It lays 2 eggs which are olive brown with black blotches. Both sexes incubate for approx 28 days. The young feed themselves at 35 days and fly at 60 days.

[edit] Diet

Fish, also molluscs and crustaceans.

[edit] Vocalisation

Wailing, croaking and cackling calls.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Avibirds

• List of references

[edit] External Links