Talk:Pacific loon

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"Pacific Diver (Gavia pacifica), known in North America as Pacific Loon"...but according to this article, they only live in North America or near it. Where do they live where they are called the Pacific Diver? Kingturtle 01:20, 1 Apr 2004 (UTC)

In British publications this species, like other Gavia diver species is always called Pacific Diver, consistent with the rest of the genus. The name given to a species elsewhere does not have to be that which is current where the bulk of the populations lives. In N America, the vagrant wagtail Motacilla cinerea is Gray Wagtail, despite the fact that this essentially Eurasian species is Grey Wagtail on its home turf. jimfbleak

But it's an American bird, and thus should be known by its American name.-Cyanocittacristata 16:23, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually the range was wrong - your note prompted me to check, and it's now fixed. It's not restricted to North America, and has large breeding and wintering populations in Asia. Jimfbleak 16:43, 13 September 2007 (UTC)