Red-throated loon

The red-throated loon, also called the red-throated diver, is a migratory aquatic bird found across the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed member of the loon family and the smallest and lightest of the world's loons, ranging from 55 to 67 centimeters in length. It breeds mainly in Arctic regions and winters in northern coastal waters, feeding mostly on fish along with some amphibians, invertebrates and plant material. During the breeding season it grows the reddish throat patch that gives it its name; outside the breeding season it is a plain grey and white bird. It is monogamous, forming long term pair bonds, and both parents help build the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the young.