Behavior of post-nest failure and non-breeding Common Loons during the breeding season

Common Loon (Gavia immer) breeding, pre-migratory, and wintering behavior h as been well described, but no previous author has characterized failed and non-breeding loon behavior during the summer breeding season. We quantifie d the summer behavior of non-breeding and failed breeding loons from 15 lak es in Kejimkujik National Park (Nova Scotia, Canada) and the Lepreau waters hed (New Brunswick, Canada). Time-activity budgets and event quantification s were used to describe behavioral state and event patterns. The behavior o f failed and non-breeders in summer is similar to that described for pre-ne sting, pre-migratory, wintering, and breeding loons (except those With youn g chicks) with foraging the predominant behavior and peering the predominan t event. We propose that the behavioral regimen of adult loons is relativel y constant throughout the year, with the exception of a two-week period fol lowing chick hatching when adults brood their young.