Arctic Loon
The black-throated loon, also known as the Arctic loon and the black-throated diver, is a migratory aquatic bird found in the Northern Hemisphere, primarily breeding in freshwater lakes in northern Europe and Asia. It winters along sheltered, ice-free coasts of the north-east Atlantic Ocean and the eastern and western Pacific Ocean. This loon was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 and has two subspecies. It was previously considered to be the same species as the Pacific loon, of which it is traditionally considered to be a sister species, although this is debated. In a study that used mitochondrial and nuclear intron DNA, the black-throated loon was found to be sister to a clade consisting of the Pacific loon and two sister species, the common loon and the yellow-billed loon.
Summary from Wikipedia
In Türkiye
Arrives in autumn and leaves in spring; summer records are almost absent.
Most records in January–February.
Provinces where it makes up the largest share of bird records.
Adjusted for how many birdwatchers are out each month; the busiest month = 100%.
2,691 records from Türkiye · #228 of 634 species by number of records. Source: GBIF.org (October 2026). All birds of Türkiye
At a glance
Larger than the red-throated loon, it winters along Turkey's seas and can stay submerged for minutes.
Similar birds
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