“That loon looks weird,” I remarked to my mom. It certainly wasn’t the most eloquent phrase to ever fall from my lips, but it was true from my reference point. I exclusively see Common Loons, both in Maine – where I spent the holidays and into January – and at my home base in Florida. At first glance, the silhouette looked right for a loon, but something was…off.

Mom and I birded at Maine’s Fort Edgecomb State Historic Site while Dad chased my hyperactive toddler across the grassy slope. Despite the relatively warm (but still well below freezing) temperatures birds were few and farm between, but we spotted a Bufflehead, a Long-tailed Duck, a Horned Grebe, a Bald Eagle, and a smattering of both Common Loons and Red-breasted Mergansers. The Common Loon look-alike bird remained a mystery.

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