Common Loon

On 23 April 2019, Erika and I found a Common Loon diving in Capitol Lake in Olympia. We watched it swallow a small fish, which was kind of odd. Loons usually consume small fish under water. They may bring larger fish to the surface, where they break their prey up or discard it. In any case, although they take whatever fish species they can capture, they seem to prefer perch and bluegills. Loons also eat crustaceans, especially when water is muddy or fish are scarce. Chicks are fed fish, but also crustaceans, snails, leeches, and dragonfly and beetle larvae (Evers et al. 2010).