Yellow-billed Diver
Gavia adamsii
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-billed_loon
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Gaviiformes
Family
Gaviidae
Genus
Gavia
Yellow-billed Diver belongs to the family Gaviidae, order Gaviiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Yellow-billed Diver faces severe threats from climate change impacts on Arctic breeding habitats, including altered ice conditions and changing prey availability. Industrial development, oil spills, and pollution in both breeding and wintering areas pose additional significant risks to this Arctic specialist. Conservation status may vary by region or assessment authority.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Arctic and subarctic freshwater lakes and coastal waters for breeding, typically in tundra regions of northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia. Winters primarily in coastal marine waters along temperate and subarctic coastlines of the North Pacific and North Atlantic.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Yellow-billed Diver faces severe threats from climate change impacts on Arctic breeding habitats, including altered ice conditions and changing prey availability. Industrial development, oil spills, and pollution in both breeding and wintering areas pose additional significant risks to this Arctic specialist. Conservation status may vary by region or assessment authority.
Climate change and Arctic habitat loss
Industrial development in breeding areas
Oil spills and marine pollution
Reduced prey availability due to ecosystem changes
Disturbance from shipping and boat traffic
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | VUVulnerable | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | VUVulnerable | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
Report a sightingNo community sightings yet. Be the first to report!
Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Yellow-billed Diver (Gavia adamsii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/yellow-billed-diver