 Breeding evidence |
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
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Atlas Results
A pair of Pacific Loons seen near Scott Lake on July 5, 2019 by Janine McManus, represent the first probable breeding record for the species in Saskatchewan. The pair was observed swimming out from emergent vegetation in close proximity to one another on a small 5 hectare pond, 8.5 km south of the border with the Northwest Territories. While other Pacific Loons were observed in 3 atlas squares on and near Lake Athabasca during other expeditions, they all appeared to be summering birds and were deemed unlikely to be breeding nearby.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
The summer bird is handsome, with pinstriping on the sides of its breast and neck and a mother-of-pearl nape. Winter birds look much like miniature Common Loons, but with a proportionately smaller bill. They tend to winter offshore in deep water, mostly on the Pacific side of the continent.
Most migration and summer records of this species have been from freshwater lakes and reservoirs. There are, however, fall observations from the saline Quill Lakes, and three from the Saskatchewan River system.
This loon is a very rare spring migrant in southern Saskatchewan, rare summer visitant in the far north, and rare but regular fall migrant in southern Saskatchewan. There are 10 records in June, July, and August in the far north, suggesting that small numbers summer there, especially on Lake Athabasca. None of these indicate breeding, although it has nested at Leland Lake in northern Alberta and in northern Manitoba (Godfrey 1986).
Original text by Alan R. Smith. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Pacific Loon in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Pacific Loon in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=PALO&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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