Ingested Plastic in the Great Northern Diver, the Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Thomas P. Hilling^1,*, Hannah T. Reynolds¹, Vincent T. Breslin², and Mark A. Pokras³

¹Department of Biology, Western Connecticut State University, 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06180. ²Department of the Environment, Geography, and Marine Sciences, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515. ³Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 32, Issue 2 (2025): 242–255

First published early online: 24 May 2025

Abstract
Plastic pollution and its impact on water-reliant avifauna is a global, pervasive issue. We evaluated necropsy data of Gavia immer (Common Loon) from freshwater and marine environments in the northeastern US from 2011 to 2022, and found 16.2% (106/654) had ingested plastic items (macroplastics). We examined Common Loons stranded from 2020 to 2022, quantified macroscopic plastic items in detail, and processed the ingesta for suspected microplastics. We found macroplastics in 20.7% (11/53) and suspected microplastic particles, predominately clear fibers, in 100% (37/37) of the Common Loons. While we found no evidence that sex, mass, or geography correlated with microplastic load, both macroplastics and suspected microplastics were widespread and prevalent in Common Loon ingesta in the northeastern US.

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