Is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds.
Despite calls that make it sound maniacal, the word loon actually comes from a Shetland Islands word loom, which comes from the Icelandic word lomr and the Swedish word lom, which both refer to someone who is lame or clumsy. Loons were called this because of how awkward and clumsy they appear on land. Q. Why are loons silent in the winter in the south? A. Although loons have been heard giving yodels and tremolos on the wintering grounds, it is not common. It probably is because the hormone levels in loons are not high enough (i.e., they don't feel a need to defend a territory) to bring about calling. Taxonomy [edit]. The great northern loon is one of the five loon species that make up the genus Gavia, the only genus of the family Gavidae and order Gaviiformes. Its closest relative is the other large black-headed species, the yellow-billed loon or white-billed diver, Gavia adamsii. The great northern loon (Gavia immer), is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. The species is known as the common loon in North America and the great northern diver in Eurasia; its current name is a compromise proposed by the International Ornithological Committee 1 California Native American myths have a recurring figure, Loon or Loon Woman, based on the great northern loon. 2  The great northern loon is the provincial bird of Ontario and is depicted on the Canadian one-dollar coin, which has come to be known affectionately as the  loonie . Either way, the name refers to the loon’s poor ability to walk on land. Another possible derivation is from the Norwegian word lom for these birds, which comes from Old Norse lomr, lómr possibly cognate With english, lament referring to the characteristic plaintive sound of the. loon Earlier naturalists referred to the loons as mergus (the Latin term for diving seabirds of all sorts) or colymbus, which became the genus name used in the first modern scientific description of a Gavia species (by Carl Linnaeus) in 1758. Either way, the name refers to the loon’s poor ability to walk on land. Another possible derivation is from the Norwegian word lom for these birds, which comes from Old Norse lomr, lómr possibly cognate With english, lament referring to the characteristic plaintive sound of the. loon This species is most abundant in Canada and the Northern United States. Common loons breed on lakes and other waterways from western Greenland west across Canada and the northernmost United State, including Alaska. They winter along both coasts of North America as far south as Baja California and Texas. They generally hunt in water 2 to 4 meters deep. Because they rely on sight, clear water is critical to common loons. Adult loons ingest most of their food items underwater where they catch them. They bring larger items to the surface before eating them. Hypernyms (Gavia is a kind of...): bird genus (a genus of birds). Meronyms (members of Gavia): diver; loon (large somewhat primitive fish-eating diving bird of the northern hemisphere having webbed feet placed far back; related to the grebes).  Gaviiformes are among the few groups of birds in which the young moult into a second coat of down feathers after shedding the first one, rather than growing juvenile feathers with downy tips that wear off as is typical in many birds. Either way, the name refers to the loon’s poor ability to walk on land. Another possible derivation is from the Norwegian word lom for these birds, which comes from Old Norse lomr, lómr possibly cognate With english, lament referring to the characteristic plaintive sound of the. loon Table of Genus/Species. Click here for complete documentation for this database. 1  This table contains a list of Genus/Species that are included in the CEE-TV database to aid in querying the Genus/Species field. 2  Copy and paste the Genus and Species from this page into the search form.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/search/LoonNotes1.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavia_immer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loon http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Gavia_immer/ http://www.audioenglish.org/dictionary/gavia.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loon https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/ceetv/genussp.htm
what is the gavia immer genus