Minnesota’s state bird, the common loon, is more at home in the water than on land. Built like a torpedo, it swims under water in search of prey. Minnesota has more common loons than any other state except Alaska.
What states are loons in?
Loons return to northern forested lakes and rivers in the springtime, usually in April or early May. The breeding range includes Alaska and much of Canada south to portions of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Where are loons most common?
The common loon breeds in forested lakes and large ponds found in Greenland, Iceland and northern North America. In the winter, they live along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, Iceland and Europe, according to National Geographic (opens in new tab).
Where are loons found in the world?
Common Loons spend November to March in salt water close to the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines of North America, usually in bays and coves. Their winter range extends from Newfoundland and the Aleutian Islands southward to the Gulf of Mexico and Baja California.
Where do loons migrate to?
Common Loons migrate from northern lakes to coastal ocean waters. Loons in western Canada and Alaska migrate to the Pacific Coast, from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands down past Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Loons from the Great Lakes region migrate to the Gulf of Mexico or Florida coasts.
Does Florida have loons?
Thousands of loons dot the bays and open oceans surrounding Florida and are a very visible part of the winter coastal landscape.
Are there loons in Texas?
Preferred Habitat: Coastal waters and large lakes. Notes by Susan Billetdeaux: Of the various loon species, Common Loons are the most likely to be seen on the Upper Texas Coast.
What is a group of loons called?
The book An Asylum of Loons gives this background: “(The loon’s distinctive) call, when paired with their erratic behavior when escaping danger, inspired the common phrase ‘crazy as a loon,’ which in turn gave us the collective noun ‘asylum.
What is a predator of the loon?
Adult loons are rarely prey for other species, with the possible exception of sea otters and large raptors such as bald eagles and ospreys. However, their eggs and chicks are eaten by raccoons, ravens, bald eagles, minks, gulls, crows, snapping turtles, skunks, foxes, northern pike, and muskies.
Why do loons cry at night?
The wail is frequently heard during night chorusing. The hoot is a soft, short call that is typically used for short range communication between members of a loon family unit (paired adults and their chicks). Loons may also hoot to communicate with rival loons during low-level territorial interactions.
What are baby loons called?
loon chick
Unlike adult loons, a young loon chick is able to walk upright on land. Although they can swim immediately after hatching, chicks spend a lot of time riding on their parents’ backs during the first several days of their lives.
Do bald eagles eat loons?
Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been documented as predators of both adult Common Loons and their chicks (Vliestra and Paruk 1997, Paruk et al. 1999, Erlandson et al.
Can you eat a loon?
European settlers also hunted loons — for its flesh, for sport, and because anglers saw the fish-eating birds as competition. But whether boiled, broiled, or dried, loon meat does not taste great, according to historical reports. The ornithologist John Audubon called the flesh “tough, rank, and dark-colored.”
Do loons mate for life?
Banding studies have shown that loons do not mate for life and occasionally do switch mates or territories. When one loon dies, the remaining member of a pair will find another mate. Additionally, another loon or pair may intrude on a territory, and one or both birds could be displaced.
Are loons aggressive to humans?
Great Northern Loon
They rarely come ashore except to nest, which is when they can become dangerous to humans. They have a sharp, dagger-like beak. If they feel threatened, they use their beak as a spear, stabbing at their victim’s head, neck, and eyes.
Where do loons sleep at night?
Sleeping. Because they are not well built for life on land, loons typically sleep in the water. They take short naps (15 minutes in duration, on average). To sleep, a loon turns its neck and folds its head down to rest on its back.
What does loon poop look like?
Dried loon scat looks like somewhat large cigarette ash.
Are loons in North Carolina?
The Common Loon is one of the best known waterbirds on the continent, known both to the layman and to bird fanatics. Interestingly, in North Carolina, it is often outnumbered in winter by the Red-throated Loon, at least on coastal waters.
Are loons rare?
Status and conservation. Since 1998, the common loon has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
Are there loons in Tennessee?
Four species of loons have been recorded in Tennessee. The Common Loon is by far the most common. They can be found on large reservoirs and lakes in Tennessee primarily during spring and fall migration, but many individuals spend the winter in the state.
Do loons like salt water?
Once they reach the ocean, loons must adapt to life in salt water. Fortunately, loons have salt glands in their skull between their eyes that remove the salt from the water and fish they eat, and excrete it from ducts in their beak. The Atlantic Ocean provides very clear, deep open water for the loons to dive and fish.