This species is about 62cm tall, so with a larger and heavier head than the red-throated diver. An adult pearl diver is in summer from below and from above white black with small white spots. The head and neck are gray and the throat is black striped with a central black spot. The bill is black, straight and shaped dagger. In winter, the pearl diver from above and from below greyish white with a clear separation between white and gray throat neck. The juvenile resembles adult in winter, but bright, scaly patches on the back. The wing beat is slower and shorter than a red-throated diver. The call is a rhythmic howls at the sites. In flight, it is a deep, barking cry. In winter this species still. The pearl diver breeds on islands in large northern European lakes. In winter it migrates along coasts sometimes on inland waterways.

Occurrence in Netherlands:
The pearl diver is like the red-throated diver between November and May in the south eastern part of the North Sea and Dutch coastal waters. The species is considerably rarer than the red-throated diver. When counts from ships is estimated that in the northern part near Denmark than 25% of the observed pearl divers divers and that this percentage to the south (the Belgian coast) decreases to 1%. It is a tractor and winter visitor in very small number.
This one was the first after 24 years at the Oelemars at Losser.