THE COMMON LOON



loon in water


BEHAVIOR (HABITS)

  • has difficulty walking on land, shuffles along, body close to the ground
  • often uses the same nesting site every year
  • nest is built close to water so adult can slip in and out of nest into the water
  • preens feathers to make the feathers water-repellant
  • chicks sit on parent's back to rest, stay warm and for protection
  • chicks "hitchhike" for about two weeks

    calls (uses four calls to communicate)
  • wail (haunting sound) used to keep in contact with other loons, heard in evening - listen (mp3)
  • tremolo (like a crazy laugh) if alarmed, when "dancing" on the water, also in flight - listen (10Kb wav)
  • yodel ( performed by male, to defend territory, nesting site, or chicks) serves as a warning, means you are too close - listen (104Kb wav)
  • hoot (sounds more like hoo) used by family to talk to each other - listen (mp3)

    food
  • pointy bill is used to stab or grasp prey
  • feeds on small fish, crayfish, frogs, snails, salamanders and leeches
  • may fly to different lakes to feed

    drawing of loon swimming


    swimming and diving
  • always in water, goes on land only for nesting
  • can float low in the water so as not to be seen
  • first peeks underwater moving head from side to side to find prey then dives after it
  • when diving keeps wings tight against the body and pushes with webbed feet to make sharp turns while chasing fish
  • dives then returns to the surface several hundred metres away
  • can remain under water for a minute and dive as deep as 80m (260 ft)

FLIGHT
(moulting, migration)



INTRODUCTION | DESCRIPTION | HABITAT | BEHAVIOR | FLIGHT | ADAPTATIONS | NESTING | OTHER FACTS





J.Giannetta
jgiannet@hotmail.com
2003 (updated 2011)

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