THE  SINGER

OF  WILDERNESS  SONGS

Originally published in our Winter 1999-2000 edition

Everywhere you turn lately, you run into loon pictures: license plates, door mats, canvas bags, t-shirts and bumper stickers all bear witness to “our love of loons”. Almost everyone in Minnesota has thrilled to the sight of a live loon, and a few of us are lucky enough to hear their haunting songs on a regular basis. But in spite of our fascination we really don't know much about them. Loons are one of the oldest groups of flying birds still living. The first loons, virtually unchanged, appeared over 60 million years ago! These birds have become masters at adapting to climate and environmental changes. If you have ever heard the cry of the loon, it is not hard to envision the primitive world they once lived in.

The Common Loon of today is a fairly large bird, averaging eleven pounds. Its wings stretch 50 inches from tip to tip, and its body is over twenty-eight inches long. It has a strong black bill for catching fish, crayfish, insects and even snails. Its bright red eyes are capable of seeing at depths below fifteen feet, and its strong legs are located far back on its body for maximum speed in the water. Unlike most flying birds, the loon has solid bones which enable it to dive to depths of up to 150 feet, although its dives are usually more shallow.

Loons are very awkward on land because their legs are located at the back portion of their body. They only come ashore for two reasons: to mate and to nest.

Loons mate for life and spend their summers together raising their chicks. In the fall and winter months, the adult loons fly to separate wintering locations until courtship time the next spring. Usually two olive green eggs with dark spots are laid in a nest built of grasses and ferns. Nests are located near the water's edge and are often built on an island to limit possible predation. Loons return to nest sites year after year if left undisturbed.

Once the chicks hatch they take to the water almost immediately, but they tire easily and soon learn that their parents' backs are great for resting on. Toward the end of summer, loons can be seen "chasing" their offspring up and down the lake trying to get them to fly. Loons need to flap across nearly a quarter of a mile of water to attain flight! Once in the air, they are capable of traveling great distances.

Young loons are left by their parents at the end of summer to find their own way. The young birds will stay at the lake until it is almost time for the water to freeze. They then fly to the southeast Atlantic coast to spend the next two years. At this time they are a drab gray color and their body rids itself of excess salt through a nasal salt gland found commonly in ocean birds. The juvenile birds eat cod, mackerel and other ocean fishes and crabs. The young birds must compete with the adult birds for food during the winter months, as the adults migrate to the ocean while the lakes are frozen.  The adults are hard to distinguish from the juvenile birds in winter as they too are drab gray. The mature birds will regain their summer attire before migration time the next spring.

Although loons have managed to adapt to many changes in their environment over the years, their future is not certain. Even in the north country , man is a regular visitor on some lakes . Loons sometimes fail to return if their nests are too close to human activity, or if they are frequently disturbed while in their nests.

The best practice for paddlers is to enjoy loons as you come upon them, and then push on. Never “go looking” for loon nests, or try to get close to a parent with chicks.