Black-throated Loon - description, habitat, interesting facts

Black-throated loon is quite common, it has an iridescent shade and swimming speed. From the natural habitat, you can distinguish lakes, forest places and various reservoirs with a moderate flow of water. There are many interesting features that everyone should familiarize themselves with. We will analyze them in order of priority, we will give the facts.

Habitat

1. The presented individuals have an average number, which is preferably located from Eurasia to Alaska. They build nests in cold regions of Europe, such as Norway or Finland. They live in the vastness of our homeland and in the United States of America.
2. Goes for wintering to cold water sources, can be found in the north of the Mediterranean, as well as on the Caspian and Black Sea coasts. In our country, it builds nests in a forest belt and near standing water sources. Feels good on the lakes.
3. You can meet representatives of this subspecies in the Sea of ​​Azov. In cold times, sent to the Krasnodar Territory, because there are all conditions for a full wintering of these inhabitants. The population is influenced by many factors, including flight conditions and other aspects.
4. The loons decreased in the population due to the fact that water sources are increasingly polluted by waste from the processing of chemicals. This leads to the death of fish, respectively, black-throated birds are also reduced in their numbers. If we consider the number of individuals living in Europe, today their number hardly exceeds 800.
5. Recent assessments in the Krasnodar Territory revealed that in this place birds are concentrated in the amount of 1000 animals maximum. Ornithologists study the family in pairs, respectively, this is about 500 pairs.

Appearance

1. The individual in question is a medium-sized bird. It is larger compared to the red-throated loon. Nevertheless, it is inferior in size to dark-billed and white-billed individuals. The body length of the birds in question can range from 57 to 74 cm.
2. Moreover, body weight often exceeds 3 kg. The color of such birds is usually two-tone. Moreover, the bottom of the body is almost always light, and the top is dark. During the mating season, the appearance of individuals is significantly transformed.
3. It becomes obvious that the neck and head of individuals become gray, closer to the ashen shade. As for the throat, the color casts a beautiful greenish or purple metallic color. If you look closely, then in the lower part of the body you can see a beautiful white pattern, which is located longitudinally.

Description

1. Birds of this subspecies are well developed on land or in the aquatic environment. But they are closer to the second option. Individuals even prefer to sleep on the surface of the water.
2. To date, a record has been recorded that states that the bird swam under water and did not emerge for 2 minutes 15 seconds. But on average they sink into the water for 50 seconds.
3. They are active at any time of the day. When they are not in the water, they move on the abdominal cavity. They reach puberty after the second year of life.
4. A law has been introduced that states that it is forbidden to hunt the represented individuals on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory. Since this bird is an excellent dive, when sent to a depth, it gets into the net and gets stuck, which leads to death.
5. Monogamy is considered to be a feature of the presented species, in other words, these birds choose one single companion for life and do not part with it. If for some reason the half dies, the loon will be left alone.
6. What matters is where the individuals represented nest. They need food, respectively, the feed base should be quite extensive. They build one house, remember the location, and then annually return to a secluded place. One pond allows three pairs of birds to make a nest.
7. Eggs have a dark, brownish-greenish tint. For one clutch, the loon gives about two eggs. As for the incubation period, it lasts 28 days. Chicks become competent after a couple of months after birth. From this moment they are able to independently obtain food.

Interesting Facts

1. Separately, it is worth noting the fact that the individuals in question were listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The problem is that in recent years the number of birds has declined sharply due to a change in habitat. The bird simply disappeared from most areas.
2. That is why individuals can no longer be found in areas such as Smolensk, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and Moscow. Also, the species of birds under consideration completely disappeared from Mordovia; in this area, individuals no longer nest.
3. Black-throated loons have a very interesting characteristic. The fact is that individuals exhibit special sensitivity to the human factor. The problem is that such birds, due to the constant presence of people in their environment, scared all individuals. Because of this, the number of loons fell sharply.
4. It should be understood that if you disturb or frighten such birds, they leave their nest for a long time. As a result, eggs or small chicks remain completely defenseless. From all sorts of dangers, they simply have nowhere to go.
5. Among other things, a very important factor in reducing the number of individuals is that birds often die in fishing nets. The irreversible consequences that occur in the environment also play a large role. The reason for the reduction in the number of birds is precisely man.
6. It is worth noting that the birds in flight are capable of developing speeds of about 60-65 km / h. When seasonal migrations occur, feathered individuals make flights even at night. In addition, the loons during the hunt dive into the water for 10 m. They can be without oxygen for about 40-60 seconds.

Black-throated loons are quite an interesting species of birds. Such birds have a beautiful appearance. They are able to quickly fly and dive into the water for fish to a decent depth. The considered individuals are listed in the Red Book due to a sharp reduction in the number of species.

Video: Black-throated Loon (Gavia arctica)