Re: [MDOsprey] Yellow-billed Loon?
Greg Miller (hawk-owl@yahoo.com)
Thu, 4 Nov 1999 07:45:53 -0800 (PST)
Charlie,
Regrettably, I didn't get a chance to go look for the
Yellow-billed Loon last evening or this morning.
Yesterday, my battery was dead and I was without a
vehicle.
Away from any books, I can't tell you which guides
show that first year birds often have pale, yellowish
bills, but always have dark coloration near the tip,
particular on the culmen. The amount of gray on the
bill varies widely. Some Common Loons will show only
a small mark on the top of the tip of the bill. The
pale bill can look very much like Yellow-billed Loon
depending on lighting conditions.
Next to a Common Loon, the Yellow-billed will be
larger overall with a thicker neck, a different shaped
head, and an awkwardly large bill that it habitually
holds at an upward angle.
I have not seen anything documenting dark coloration
on any part of the bill on a Yellow-billed Loon. If
anyone out there has writings to the contrary, I'd be
most interested.
-Greg Miller
Hollywood, MD
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