Re: [MDOsprey] Yellow-billed Loon?
GAIL@UMDD.UMD.EDU
Thu, 04 Nov 99 19:11:26 EST
Hi --
We saw several Yellow-billed Loons (or, as they say in Europe, White-billed
Divers) on our trip to Finland and Norway last June. The bills were almost
completely pale, and carried in a definite uptilted manner. The birds
were just coming into summer plumage, and still had the typical pale head,
dark auricular, and rather buffy facial color of the Y-B, as opposed to
Common, Loon.
Both of the two newish European guides have excellent comparisons of the two
divers. The best is probably in Jonsson's Birds of Europe, but the new
Collins Bird Guide (black cover) is also very useful. Both show that the
base and inner culmen can be darkish, but the outer part and tip of
bill are *always pale* (their emphasis, whereas with Common Loon, the bill tip
is usually dark.) Jonnson cautions that in late winter, Common Loons can show
apparent all-pale bills but whether this can also be true in early winter
is not mentioned.
Hope someone can get down and take a look!
Gail Mackiernan