Yellow-billed Loon

The White-billed Diver, known as the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) in North America, is the largest member of the loon or diver family. At 77-90cm in length and a wingspan of 135-150 cm it is only marginally larger than the similar Great Northern Diver.

It breeds in the Arctic in Russia, Alaska and Canada and winters at sea mainly off the coasts of Norway and western Canada and can sometimes be found on large inland lakes in winter.

Breeding adults have a black head, white underparts and checkered black-and-white mantle. Non-breeding plumage is drabber with the chin and foreneck white. The main distinguishing feature from Great Northern Diver is the banana-like yellow bill held above the horizontal. It is also recognizable by its outstretched neck when flying.

This species, like all divers, is a specialist fish-eater, catching its prey underwater.

The call is an eerie wailing, lower pitched than Great Northern Diver.

The scientific name of this bird is after the naval surgeon Edward Adams.