Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata 紅喉潛鳥
Category I. Accidental.
IDENTIFICATION
Mar. 2016, Martin Hale
53-69 cm. The smallest loon, it has a relatively fine bill that is often held pointed upward, a slim neck and a chest that does not protrude forward. In non-breeding plumage white on the neck is extensive reaching toward the nape and just in front of eye. The upperparts are spotted white, and the flanks are white along the whole body (if visible). In breeding plumage has dark rufous throat.
Mar. 2016, Michelle and Peter Wong.
In flight the wings are relatively narrow, the neck appears to sag in the middle and the back appears to bulge upward as a result.
VOCALISATIONS
The flight call is a harsh ‘gaar’ uttered singly or in series.
DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE
Has occurred in open sea and inshore waters, with one record from an abandoned fish pond.
OCCURRENCE
Records have involved singles and occurred from 13 February to 28 April.
2002: Luk Keng on 18 February (Lee 2007).
2005: Sam A Tsuen during 20-23 February and at Nam Chung during 10-14 March.
2008: Po Toi on 13th and 27 February.
2011: Po Toi on 28 April.
2016: off Lamma Island from 14 March to 4 April and Aberdeen during 19-26 April.
BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET
The first two records involved approachable birds that appeared to be unwell.
RANGE & SYSTEMATICS
Monotypic. Circumpolar breeding distribution largely north of 50oN with highest densities in tundra and coastal areas; in northeast Asia breeds as far south as Sakhalin. Winters coastally south to the Tropic of Cancer on both sides of the Pacific and Atlantic, and in the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas (Rizzolo et al. 2020). In China regarded by Liu and Chen (2020) as a winter visitor to coastal areas south of Hebei, including Hainan and Taiwan; however, based on the pattern of records in HK it is rare this far south.
CONSERVATION STATUS
IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend decreasing.
Lee, W. H. (2007). Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata at Starling Inlet. The first Hong Kong record. Hong Kong Bird Report 2001-02: 162-163
Liu, Y. and Y. H. Chen (eds) (2020). The CNG Field Guide to the Birds of China (in Chinese). Hunan Science and Technology Publication House, Changsha.
Rizzolo, D. J., C. E. Gray, J. A. Schmutz, J. F. Barr, C. Eberl, and J. W. McIntyre (2020). Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald and B. K. Keeney, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.retloo.02
