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What the sources say

Common LoonGavia immer

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Common Loon profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 43 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Gavia immer (common loon). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page sayslegs set too far back to walk well
The source saysTheir legs are placed very far back on their bodies, making them very powerful underwater swimmers. However, this arrangement also makes walking difficult for these birds.Note: tagline
The page saysLakes across Canada and the northern US in summer
The source saysCommon loons breed on lakes and other waterways from western Greenland west across Canada and the northernmost United State, including Alaska.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysshallow coastal waters in winter
The source saysIn winter, loons migrate to shallow coastal marine habitat.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysMostly fish, plus crayfish, shrimp and leeches
The source saysLoons eat fish and other aquatic animals, including crayfish, shrimp, leeches and some aquatic vegetation.Note: stats.diet
The page saysThis one hunts by sight, generally in water 2 to 4 metres deep, and clear water is critical to it
The source saysLoons are visual predators, locating fish by sight and diving deep to catch them. They generally hunt in water 2 to 4 meters deep. Because they rely on sight, clear water is critical to common loons.
The page saysIts legs sit far back, and walking is difficult
The source saysthis arrangement also makes walking difficult for these birds
The page saysA common loon is 70 to 90 cm long
The source saysRange length 70 to 90 cm
The page saysCommon loons nest on lakes from western Greenland across Canada and the northern United States (Alaska included), and a population breeds in Iceland
The source saysCommon loons breed on lakes and other waterways from western Greenland west across Canada and the northernmost United State, including Alaska. ... There is a breeding population on Iceland
The page saysWinter sends them to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, south to Texas and Baja California, and they are frequent winter visitors on Europe's western coasts
The source saysThey winter along both coasts of North America as far south as Baja California and Texas. ... the species is a frequent winter visitor to the western coasts of Europe.
The page saysThe species is also known as the great northern diver
The source sayscommon loon (Also: great northern diver)
The page sayswith crayfish, shrimp, leeches and some aquatic vegetation also eaten
The source saysincluding crayfish, shrimp, leeches and some aquatic vegetation
The page saysA female lays one to three eggs, usually two
The source saysthe female lays 1 to 3 (usually 2) brown eggs
The page saysfor the first few weeks the chicks often ride on a parent's back
The source saysParents often carry the chicks on their back during the first few weeks of the fledging period.

Source
02

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Common Loon (Gavia immer). Michigan Natural Features Inventory.

The page saysdagger-billed
The source saysa relatively long, thick, dagger-like black billNote: tagline
The page saysdense bones
The source saysCommon Loons are equipped with dense bones which cause them to float low in waterNote: tagline
The page saysa wolf-like wail
The source saysthe wail is the most recognized of all Common Loon vocalizations and resembles the howl of a wolfNote: tagline
The page saysMostly fish
The source saysFish constitute the bulk of both adult and juvenile dietsNote: stats.diet; body
The page saysIts bones are dense, which makes it float low
The source saysCommon Loons are equipped with dense bones which cause them to float low in water
The page saysits big webbed feet sit on powerful legs set far back on its body
The source saysLarge webbed feet and powerful legs set to rear of the body enable loons to propel themselves rapidly underwater for prolonged durations.
The page saysThat rear-set design drives it rapidly underwater
The source saysenable loons to propel themselves rapidly underwater for prolonged durations
The page saysLoons seldom visit land except to mate and nest
The source saysloons seldom visit land except for shoreline copulation, nest-building and egg incubation
The page saysIts small wings mean it has to run a long way across the water's surface just to take off
The source sayssmall wings which force them to “run” upon the water’s surface for a considerable distance to achieve lift-off
The page saysOne account reports birds from 2.7 kg to over 6.3 kg
The source saysMcIntyre (1988) reports weights ranging from 2.7 kg (5.9 lbs) to over 6.3 kg (13.9 lbs).
The page saysin Michigan males average 4.6 kg and females 3.7 kg
The source saysMichigan males average 4.6 kg (10.1 lbs) and females average 3.7 kg (8.1 lbs)
The page saysMales are typically 24 to 35% heavier than females
The source saysMales are typically 24-35% heavier than femalesNote: 24-35 written as 24 to 35
The page saysOf the common loon's at least six calls, the yodel is the only one that differs between the sexes
The source saysCommon Loons produce at least six recognized vocalizations, most common of which are the yodel, wail, tremolo, and hoot ... Of these, the yodel is the only sex-specific call
The page saysMales give this abrasive, oscillating bugle to defend their breeding territory
The source saysthe yodel is the only sex-specific call and is an abrasive, oscillating bugle given by males to defend and delineate breeding territory
The page saysThe most recognized call is the wail, which resembles the howl of a wolf and can help paired birds find each other
The source saysthe wail is the most recognized of all Common Loon vocalizations and resembles the howl of a wolf. Among its numerous functions, the wail can serve to determine location and reduce distance between paired individuals
The page saysTrouble inside the territory gets the tremolo, a staccato cry of distress
The source saysThe tremolo is the Common Loon’s staccato distress call given in response to a threat within territory
The page saysOnly males yodel. The abrasive, oscillating bugle call defends and marks out the breeding territory, and it is the one loon call that differs between the sexes
The source saysthe yodel is the only sex-specific call and is an abrasive, oscillating bugle given by males to defend and delineate breeding territoryNote: FAQ
The page saysThe loon's best-known call is the wail, which sounds like a wolf's howl and helps paired birds find each other, and males add a yodel.
The source saysthe wail is the most recognized of all Common Loon vocalizations and resembles the howl of a wolf. Among its numerous functions, the wail can serve to determine location and reduce distance between paired individualsNote: vibe.reason

Source
03

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database

AnAge entry for Gavia immer. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

The page saysAnAge lists a maximum recorded longevity of 24.1 years in the wild
The source saysMaximum longevity 24.1 years (wild)
The page saysdrawing on Bird Banding Laboratory records
The source says[ 0427 ] BBL - Longevity Records of North American Birds
The page saysAnAge lists 24.1 years as the maximum recorded longevity for a wild common loon, drawing on Bird Banding Laboratory records
The source saysMaximum longevity 24.1 years (wild)Note: FAQ

Source
04

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021

Gavia immer. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22697842A166327842.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: stats.conservationStatus; GBIF check
The page saysThe IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

Source
05

Gayk et al. 2018

Gayk et al. (2018). Genomic insights into natural selection in the common loon (Gavia immer): evidence for aquatic adaptation. BMC Evolutionary Biology.

The page saysDense bones and rear-set feet make it a foot-powered submarine
The source saysposteriorly-positioned feet for foot-propelled diving, dense bonesNote: stats.superpower; submarine is a figure of speech
The page saysLoons, the five species of the order Gaviiformes, are specialized divers
The source saysThe common loon ( Gavia immer ) is one of five species that comprise the avian order Gaviiformes. Loons are specialized diversNote: scope: order Gaviiformes
The page saysreaching depths of up to 60 metres and staying under for up to three minutes
The source saysLoons are specialized divers, reaching depths up to 60 m while staying submerged for intervals up to three minutes.Note: scope: loons as a group (order Gaviiformes); the sentence names that scope
The page saysLoons as a group, the five species of the order Gaviiformes, are specialized divers. A genome study of the common loon puts their reach at up to 60 metres deep, with dives lasting up to three minutes
The source saysThe common loon ( Gavia immer ) is one of five species that comprise the avian order Gaviiformes. Loons are specialized divers, reaching depths up to 60 m while staying submerged for intervals up to three minutes.Note: FAQ

Source
06

Evers et al. 2007

Evers et al. (2007). Adverse effects from environmental mercury loads on breeding common loons. Ecotoxicology.

The page saysthe loons at highest risk from mercury produced 41% fewer fledged young than a reference group
The source saysIncreasing Hg body burdens reduced the number of fledged chicks per territorial pair, with highest risk loons producing 41% fewer fledged young than our reference group.
The page saysMercury pollution is a threat
The source saysIncreasing Hg body burdens reduced the number of fledged chicks per territorial pair
The page saysIn a study built on 18 years of measurements
The source saysA robust spatio-temporal dataset was used that included nearly 5,500 loon Hg measurements over an 18-year period.Note: study length per abstract; study area not stated in the abstract, so Maine and New Hampshire cut

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.