Rare bird delights birdwatchers
A very interesting bird has been hanging out in Bodega Bay for the past few years, delighting onlookers with its quirky behavior and one-of-a-kind characteristics. This yellow-billed loon is completely out of range but seems entirely happy to be where it is. It spends its days traversing the bay, diving for crabs and drawing hundreds of birdwatchers who have made the trip to see it.
I first saw this yellow-billed loon in March 2024. At that time, it was thought the bird was lost and would stay in the area for only a short period before moving on. But it stayed, seemingly happy to make Bodega Bay its home.
Largest and rarest of the loons
Loons are large, diving waterbirds in the order Gaviiformes. There are only five species of loons in the world, and yellow-billed loons are the largest and rarest of them all. As their name suggests, they have a massive yellow bill that makes their identification straightforward, especially when swimming among common loons.
They breed in the Arctic and spend winters along the northern coasts of the Pacific Ocean. They are, however, well known for their tendency to be vagrants, which explains how one ended up in Bodega Bay. In fact, one made the news a few years ago for landing in the Bellagio Hotel fountains in Las Vegas, forcing the hotel to temporarily pause its famous fountain show while the loon was captured and relocated.
A daily fixture in the bay
The yellow-billed loon in Bodega Bay is seen daily. It’s not hard to find, as it frequents the same areas: in front of The Tides Wharf and Restaurant, the channel by Porto Bodega Marina, the water that parallels Westshore Road and the fishing pier by Spud Point Marina…