Red-throated Loon
Red-throated Loon has no long-term trend on record.
About the Red-throated Loon
The Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) is a North American member of the Loons (Gaviidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 23.5–35.5 in long (60–90 cm) — a large diving bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 59 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Gaviidae · Wetland birds
Notable Red-throated Loon Trends
No notable trend signals for Red-throated Loon. See the full index history below.
Red-throated Loon Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Red-throated Loon is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.02 (95% range 0.01–0.03). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±54.6%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| 2026 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| 2027 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| 2028 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| 2029 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
Where the Red-throated Loon Is Detected
BBS routes recording Red-throated Loon, sized by most recent count.
Red-throated Loon Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +145% | 1983 | 59 |
Red-throated Loon Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | +315% | 1986 | 17 |
| BCR 3 | +266% | 1998 | 4 |
| BCR 4 | +114% | 1987 | 23 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +58% | 1984 | 15 |
Red-throated Loon Conservation Status
Red-throated Loon is tracked across BBS survey routes; no formal conservation-status flag is recorded here.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.