a.k.a. Red-throated Diver
- Gavia stellata
Identification
L. 53-69cm.
- Grey-brown with scattered white steaks and spots above
- Whitish below
- Grey head
- Black and white vertical stripes on the hindneck
- Red throat patch.
Distribution
North America, Greenland, Iceland, north and west Scotland, Scandinavia and across northern Russia.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Shallow lakes and pools on moorland and tundra, sometimes slow-flowing rivers and sheltered coasts.
Behaviour
Breeding
Its nest is a bare scrape beside water or a more substantial mound of vegetation built in shallow water. 2 olive-buff to dark olive-brown with sparse black blotches eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes for 24-29 days.
Diet
Includes fish.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Gavia stellata (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program