Common Loon
Gavia immer
Synopsis: Uncertain whether this species currently breeds in Oregon. In 1991, it apparently bred at Little Eddeeleo Lake in the central Cascades, as recent fledglings were sighted with an adult (A. Corey Heath, ODFW, personal communication). Records during the 1995-1999 atlas project period are from lakes along the Cascade crest or in the Blue Mountains, but none are of confirmed nesting, and most are of single, probably non-breeding or migrant individuals.

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Lake/Pond Shoreline & Islands (97375 acres)


Relative Detectability: Easy to observe, but some of the most likely breeding sites are difficult to access.

Challenge: Check larger remote lakes in High Cascades, Blue, and Wallowa Mountains.