Photo: Ed Mallek/USFWS · Alaska · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · Public Domain
← Kodiak species
Loons
Yellow-billed Loon
Gavia adamsii
The largest loon, distinguished by its massive pale yellow bill that angles upward. An uncommon but sought-after winter visitor to Kodiak's protected bays.
Where to look
St. Paul Harbor, Womens Bay, and Chiniak Bay; look from the waterfront in winter.
Habitat
Arctic tundra lakes for breeding; coastal bays and nearshore waters in winter.
Diet
Fish and invertebrates.
Natural history note
Yellow-billed Loons breed in the high Arctic tundra and winter almost exclusively along the North Pacific coast.