The Common Loon

With its distinctive black and white checkered plumage, the Common Loon is one of America's most recognizable aquatic birds. It is 24 to 40 inches in length with a wing span of 4 to 5 feet. It has a black head with a heavy, black, dagger-like bill, dark red eyes, a black collar, and a white necklace. During breeding season the plumage on its back is a checkered black and white. Its breast and belly are white. During non-breeding season its back is gray and its belly white.

The Common Loon's breeding ground covers a wide stretch of territory across northern North America. They can be found across most of Alaska, Canada, and the northern states such as Minnesota, Washington, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, and New York. They winter along the coast and on open lakes nearby.

The preferred nesting habitat is on forested lakes and rivers with large tracts of undeveloped shoreline. They prefer lakes with a small island or bog mat for nesting. Isolated from the shoreline, the nest is inaccessible to raccoons and other egg-eating predators.

The pairs of Common Loons arrive at their breeding grounds shortly after the ice thaws. The Common Loon are solitary nesters. Smaller lakes will be home to only one mated pair. The larger lakes may have more than one pair as long as each pair has their own territory. They build their nests close to water preferring the sites completely surround by water such as a small island or bog. The same site is often used from year to year.

The pair work together to build the nest using pine needles, leaves, grass, and other vegetation collected from the shores and the bottom of the lake. After laying one or two eggs, the eggs are incubated for 26 to 31 days. The newly hatched chicks are covered with brownish black down and can swim immediately. After the first day or two, the chicks do not return to the nest, but spend time resting on the backs of their parents. Until they gain some size, they are vulnerable to predators such as snapping turtles, gulls, eagles, and crows. By the end of the season the young are able to look after themselves.

The Common Loon are carnivores feeding predominantly on fish. They dive down, sometimes going as deep as 200 feet, and catch their prey underwater. They frequently feed on pike, perch, sunfish, trout or bass when in freshwater, and sea trout, flounder, rock fish, and herring when in salt water.

The Common Loon has a haunting voice with four distinct calls. They are very vocal during the mating season using a tremolo, wail, yodels and hoots to communicate with their families. It is the tremolo that is often referred to as the "crazy laugh" which gave rise to the term "Crazy as a Loon."
Click on the links below to hear some of the Common Loon's usual calls:

Common Loon Chorus: The Loon Preservation Committee

Distant Wail: The Loon Preservation Committee

The number of Common Loon inhabiting the northlands has decreased over the years. They prefer the quiet atmosphere of uninhabited lakes, but as more and more lake property is developed, their breed grounds are shrinking. Even on undeveloped lakes, disturbances caused by people paddling, camping, and fishing in the area has had an impact. Ingestion of lead fishing weights, mercury pollution, and acid rain has taken its toll as well.

The Common Loon is not currently on any endangered list but their numbers are being closely monitored. We have lost too many birds in the past. We don't want to lose anymore.