It is amongst the oldest known species in the genus and larger than the older Gavia egeriana from the Early Miocene Czech Republic.

The remains of Gavia schultzi was discovered in 1986 by a private collector that later donated the specimens to the Natural History Museum Vienna.

The distal end of the humerus in this species is notably less robust than in the modern members of the genus, a trait it shares with Gavia egeriana.

The ventral epicondylus (where the humerus connects to the forearm) features larger but less distinct attachment points for ligament.

[1] The area where the coracoid borders the sternum is concave, which sets Gavia schultzi apart from Petralca austriaca, another gaviiform from Austria.