Loon Basics

Basic Facts:

The Common Loon officially became Minnesota's state bird on March 13, 1961 with House Bill No. 79.

Loons can dive 250 feet below the water's surface and hold their breath for up to five minutes.

Loons can fly 670 miles in 24 hours, reaching heights up to 3,000 feet and speeds up to 70 mph.

As of 2022, the oldest Common Loon is known to be 36 years old; most have a lifespan of about 20 years.

Though Common Loons appear almost entirely black and white, their black feathers have an iridescent green or purple hue in certain light.

There are an estimated 600,000 Common Loons worldwide. 12,000 of those loons call Minnesota home - more than any other US state besides Alaska.

Loons eat fish, insects, leeches, crawfish, frogs, snails.

More about the Common Loon:

Common Loons (Gavia immer) are aquatic birds and are in the same evolutionary cluster as penguins, pelicans, herons, grebes and cormorants. Loons, which are the size of a large duck or a small goose, resemble these birds in shape when swimming. The loon's toes are connected by webbing which enable them to powerfully propel themselves under the water. Because of the rearward positioning of their feet, loons are almost entirely unable to walk on land and only intentionally venture onto shore at nesting season.

Male and female loons have identical plumage, which is largely patterned black and white in summer, with grey on the head and neck in some species. All have a white belly. Males are larger on average but relative size is only apparent when the male and female are together. In winter, plumage is dark grey above with some indistinct lighter mottling on the wings, and a white chin, throat and underside.

Gaviiformes are among the few groups of birds in which the young moult into a second coat of down feathers after shedding the first one, rather than growing juvenile feathers with downy tips that wear off, as is typical in many birds.

Loons fly strongly, though they have high wing-loading (mass to wing area ratio) which complicates takeoff. Most loons must run upwind across the water's surface with wings flapping to generate sufficient lift to take flight. Once airborne, loons are capable of long flights during migration.

Loons find their prey by sight. They eat mainly fish, supplemented with amphibians, crustaceans and similar mid-sized aquatic fauna. They prefer clear lakes because they can more easily see their prey headfirst to facilitate swallowing. They swallow their prey whole. To aid digestion, loons swallow small pebbles from the bottoms of lakes to help their gizzard break down the hard parts of their food - similar to chickens. (NOTE: Loons may inadvertently ingest small lead pellets, released by anglers and hunters, that will contribute to lead poisoning and the loon's eventual death. Please help keep the lead out of our lakes.)

According to the book Fascinating Loons, by Stan Tekiela, loons communicate using four basic calls - the wail, the tremolo, the yodel and the hoot. Each call is modified to produce variations but the basic calls are still the mainstay of their communication. Loons produce a louder call than other birds because they have large territories that span up to hundreds of acres. Although loons call at any time, they often call just before and after sunset with peak calling near midnight. 

The Wail - an all-purpose call that expresses a loon's desire to be closer to other loons. It means, "Where are you?" or "Come here!" Wails are also given when a loon feels anxious or threatened. The wail rises and falls in pitch and often sounds like the howling of a wolf.

The Tremolo - is known as the laughing call. The laughing tremolos of males are lower than those of females. This call is usually given during the day. An alarm tremolo is given when a loon is feeling threatened or is threatening another bird. This type of tremolo changes and intensity increases as a threat approaches. The alarm call is often combined with splashing displays.

The Yodel - is a danger or warning call given only by male loons to announce and defend territory. Males yodel when people come too close to an individual, the young, or the nest site. The yodel is unique to each bird, allowing for identity by sound. It means, "I am a male loon. I'm on my territory and I'm prepared to defend it!" Males often assume a unique posture with head and neck stretched forward horizontally and bill just above the water's surface.  The male will move its head back and forth as if spraying the call all over the lake. Males may strike another pose during yodels known as the vulture position where he rears up high in the water and crroks his neck while making his sound.

The Hoot - is a short, single call note usually given by family members nearby. Considered a contact call, the hoot permits individuals to keep in auditory contact while they look for fish, scan for danger, or watch for other loons. Hoots are also given when an adult loon approaches a group for a social gathering. Baby loons start to peep even before they are born.

Loons nest during the summer on freshwater lakes and/or large ponds. Smaller bodies of water, such as Adney Lake, will usually only have one pair. Loons often mate on the future nest site, and build their nests close to the water, preferring sites that are completely surrounded by water such as islands or emergent vegetation. Loons use a variety of materials to build their nests including aquatic vegetation, pine needles, leaves, grass, moss and mud. Our lake is lucky enough to have a nesting platform as a safe alternative for nesting. This platform is put out in the spring with markings to warn recreational boaters and others to keep a safe distance from the nesting loons. Both male and female build the nest and incubate jointly for 28 days. If the eggs are lost early in the season, the pair may re-nest, usually in a different location. Since the nest is very close to the water, rising water may induce the birds to slowly move the nest upwards, over a meter.

Despite the roughly equal participation of the sexes in nest building and incubation, analysis has shown that males alone select the location of the nest. Sex-biased site-familiarity might explain why resident males fight so hard to defend their territories.

Most clutches consist of two eggs, which are laid in May or June, depending upon latitude. Loon chicks are precocial, able to swim right away, but will often ride on their parents' back during their first two weeks to rest, conserve heat, and avoid predators. They are not able to dive right away so are vulnerable to predators and boat motors. Chicks are fed mainly by their parents for about six weeks but gradually begin to feed themselves over time. By 11 or 12 weeks, chicks gather almost all of their own food and have begun to fly.

Contrary to popular belief, pairs seldom mate for life. Indeed, a typical adult loon is likely to have several mates during its lifetime because of territorial takeover. Each breeding pair must frequently defend its territory against "floaters" trying to evict at least one owner and seize the breeding site. One-third of all territorial evictions among males result in the death of the owner; in contrast, female loons usually survive. Birds that are displaced from a territory but survive usually try to remate and (re)claim a breeding territory later in life. acres in size can typically serve as a territory for one pair of loons. A territory is a body of water claimed by a male loon in order to nest. A lake 13-125 acres in size can typically support one pair of loons.

Many Minnesota loons migrate to the Gulf of Mexico during winter but no longer have the legendary black and white coloring and red eyes so are often not recognized as loons. During the winter, loons spend flightless and solitary lives along coastal waters.

We are fortunate to have the National Loon Center based in nearby Crosslake. Contact www.nationallooncenter.org for information or visit The Nest at 14303 Gould Street, Crosslake, MN 56442 to learn more about loons or to volunteer your services or donate to protect our loons through education and habitat improvement.

Are you still using lead fishing gear? When lead tackle is lost in the water, it can be destructive to wildlife and ecological stability of the lake. Approximately 20% of loon mortalities in Minnesota directly result from lead poisoning, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. You may drop off lead tackle at The Nest where it will be disposed of properly. Look for tungsten, steel, nickel, brass, tin, bismuth, glass or stone tackle instead. If you want to be a part of this long-term protection of our lakes, support the Get The Lead Out Minnesota campaign to help educate anglers about the dangers of lead fishing tackle for loons. Encourage our legislators to support efforts to force tackle manufacturers to cease using lead in their products.

Five Steps to Protect Loons and Lakes

(From www.nationallooncenter.org)

1.  Give wildlife space

     Stay 200 feet from nesting loons and other wildlife. Use binoculars for a closer look.

2.  Protect natural shoreline

     Keep native plants for loon nesting habitat and to prevent erosion.

3.  Fish loon-safe

     Switch to lead-free tackle and avoid fishing near loons or wildlife. (You may exchange lead            tackle at the National Loon Center for non-lead.)

4.  Stop the spread of AIS

     Clean, drain and dry your gear to remove aquatic invasive species.

5.  Watch your wake

     Observe no wake zones within 200 feet of wetlands and shorelines.