Yellow-billed Loon in Fairbanks

The Yellow-billed Loon in an endangered species. More precisely, it would be an endangered species, except there is a queue and this poor bird isn’t close enough to the front; other species have “higher priority.” Whatever that means.

So it’s not a good thing to have an adult bird turn up, seriously out of range, in Fairbanks in mid-June.

Yellow-billed Loon Range Map
© Birds of North America

But one has. Found on a road outside of town, it was sent to a veterinary clinic, then to a bird rehab specialist, and then placed temporarily on a local pond that would provide safety, food and an opportunity to recover from anything that might be wrong.

WC photographed the bird Tuesday night. It didn’t look so hot, as is evident from the photo. Lethargic, might be the best description. But it seems to be hanging on to this point. Nothing is obviously wrong with it – no wounds, for example – but it’s not clear the genes are going to stay in the gene pool, however badly they may be needed.