By Susie Burbidge And The Loon Preservation Committee | Photos By Kittie Wilson
LOON CHICK PLUMAGE SEQUENCE
NATAL DOWN – When loon chicks first hatch, they are covered in dark downy feathers and have white bellies. They are often seen riding on their parents’ backs (usually for the first 7-10 days), which helps with temperature regulation and protection from predators.
BROWN DOWN – At around 2 weeks of age, they molt into a second downy plumage that is a lighter brown, but they still have white bellies.
Between 3-4 weeks of age, their bodies elongate and their bills begin to lengthen.
EMERGING JUVENAL – By 5 weeks of age, they start to look a little unkempt as their contour feathers are starting to come in. It takes approximately three more weeks until all of their down feathers have been replaced.
FULL JUVENAL – At 10 weeks of age, they have the characteristic shape of a loon and will retain this plumage and their brown eyes until they start to molt into breeding plumage at 2 1/2 years. Around this time, the juvenile loons will also begin practice flights and are usually completely fledged (able to fly) at 12 weeks. Immature loons resemble adults in winter plumage, but their feathers have a scalloped pattern on the edges.
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