do male and female loons look different

What is the difference between a male and female common loon?

Male and female loons are similar in appearance. Males are generally larger than their mates. Seasonally, the adult common loon's plumage changes dramatically between the breeding and non-breeding seasons. The photo above which shows an adult on its nest is indicative of the loon's breeding (summer) appearance.

How big do Loon birds get?

The common loon measures about 30 inches from head to tail and has a 5-foot wingspan. Adults weigh 6 to 13 lbs. with the male generally being larger than the female in a pair.

How do you know when a common loon is breeding?

Seasonally, the adult common loon's plumage changes dramatically between the breeding and non-breeding seasons. The photo above which shows an adult on its nest is indicative of the loon's breeding (summer) appearance. Why does the common loon chick ride on its parent's back?

What is the difference between a loon and an immature?

Immatures are the same shape and size as an adult loon but the plumage is gray or brown with a solid white throat and belly and lacking the black-and-white striped necklace. They look very similar to an adult with non-breeding or winter plumage.

What does a male and female loon look like?

Male and female loons are similar in appearance. Males are generally larger than their mates. Seasonally, the adult common loon's plumage changes dramatically between the breeding and non-breeding seasons. The photo above which shows an adult on its nest is indicative of the loon's breeding (summer) appearance.

What color are female loons?

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.

Are female loons brown?

Non-breeding adults are brownish with a dark neck and head marked with dark grey-brown. Their upperparts are dark brownish-grey with an unclear pattern of squares on the shoulders, and the underparts, lower face, chin, and throat are whitish. The sexes look alike, though males are significantly heavier than females.

Do all loons have red eyes?

One thing to remember is that loons only have red eyes during the summer. In winter, while they are in their grayish plumage,their eyes are not red but gray. The light that you see really has many colors (like a rainbow) and red is one of the first colors of the rainbow to be filtered out by water.

Are male and female loons the same color?

Male and female loons have identical plumage, which makes them nearly impossible to tell apart by sight alone. Although males are generally about 25% larger than females, this size difference is difficult to determine visually.

Do loons mate for life?

Loons display high territory fidelity, and individuals typically return to the same breeding lake year after year. This often results in the same male and female loons pairing up and breeding together in consecutive years; however, contrary to popular belief, loons do not mate for life.

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?

Grouse: Cheeper, squealer. Guineafowl: Keet. Loon: Loonlet.

Where do loons go at night?

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. During the nesting period, loons may sleep while incubating.

Why can't loons walk on land?

Description. Loons walk clumsily on land; that's how they got their name, according to National Geographic. They are unable to walk easily on land because their legs are located far to the rear of their bodies, according to the Audubon Society. That position also makes them powerful swimmers, however.

Do loons return to the same lake?

Loons are long-lived (20-30 years!) and territorial, returning annually to the same lake to breed. They are usually six to seven years old before they establish a breeding territory with their first mate. In the spring, males migrate back to their breeding lakes to establish a territory for nesting.

Are loons aggressive?

Adult loons can also be very aggressive towards each other, Fighting fiercely to the point that they sometimes cause serious or fatal injuries, such as sternal puncture wounds, to each other.

What are the colors of a loon?

Color: The common loon has a black bill and a red eye. In summer it is a spotty black and white with a black/iridescent green head. In fall a "winter coat" that's gray above and white below replaces its summer plumage.

What bird is mistaken for a loon?

Common Merganser Male Common Mergansers show considerably more white on the body than Common Loons, and in flight both sexes show white patches in the wings that Common Loons lack.

Do loons change color when they migrate?

Adult loons change into their black and white breeding plumage (or alternate plumage) from late February to late March. This happens on their ocean wintering waters just after they lose all their wing feathers in January. For the first 3 years of a loon's life it is all gray (like an adult in winter plumage).

What does it mean when a loon flaps its wings?

In one way, loons are like airplanes: they need a runway to take off. Loons will flap their wings and run about 30 yards across the surface of the water in order to gain enough speed for liftoff, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

What is a common loon?

Common Loons are stealthy divers, submerging without a splash to catch fish. Pairs and groups often call to each other at night. In flight, notice their shallow wingbeats and unwavering, bee-lined flight path.

Where do loons breed?

This opens in a new window. Common Loons breed on quiet, remote freshwater lakes of the northern U.S. and Canada, and they are sensitive to human disturbance. In winter and during migration, look for them on lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastlines.

What bird has a black and white collar?

Large-bodied loon with a hefty bill and flat head. Breeding birds have a black-and-white striped collar and a checkerboard back.

What is a loon bird?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. Common Loons are large, diving waterbirds with rounded heads and dagger-like bills. They have long bodies and short tails that are usually not visible. In flight, they look stretched out, with a long, flat body and long neck and bill.

Do chicks ride on the back of adults?

Chicks accompany adults for several weeks and often ride on the back of an adult when very young. Breeds in freshwater lakes. Young chicks often ride on the backs of adults. A bulky loon with a hefty bill and a rather flat head.

How many species of loons are there in North America?

North America is home to five species of loons: the Red-throated Loon, the Pacific Loon, the Arctic Loon, the Yellow-billed Loon, and the Common Loon. Of these species, the Common Loon is the most widespread and well-known. It is the only loon species that breeds as far south as New Hampshire. Loons are a migratory species ...

Where do loons spend their winter?

Loons are a migratory species that spend the breeding season on inland lakes and overwinter on the ocean. They arrive on their breeding lakes shortly after the ice goes out in the spring and remain late into the fall or early winter, often leaving for the ocean shortly before ice forms.

What do loons eat?

Loon Diet. During the breeding season, loons spend their days feeding, preening , resting, and caring for their young . Their diet in the summer consists primarily of fish, but they eat many other aquatic creatures as well. Learn More.

What is the leading cause of loon mortality in New Hampshire?

Lead poisoning resulting from the ingestion of lead fishing tackle is the leading cause of documented common loon mortality in New Hampshire.

Do loons mate for life?

This often results in the same male and female loons pairing up and breeding together in consecutive years; however, contrary to popular belief, loons do not mate for life. If one member of a pair dies or is displaced by a rival, its mate will accept a new breeding partner. The Call of the Loon.

What is the shape of a loon?

Description. Loons, which are the size of a large duck or a small goose, resemble these birds in shape when swimming. Like ducks and geese, but unlike coots (which are Rallidae) and grebes ( Podicipedidae ), the loon's toes are connected by webbing. The loons may be confused with the cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), ...

Why do loons like lakes?

They prefer clear lakes because they can more easily see their prey through the water. The loon uses its pointy bill to stab or grasp prey. They eat vertebrate prey headfirst to facilitate swallowing, and swallow all their prey whole. To help digestion, loons swallow small pebbles from the bottoms of lakes.

How do loons fly?

Loons fly strongly, though they have high wing loading (mass to wing area ratio), which complicates takeoff. Indeed, most species must run upwind across the water's surface with wings flapping to generate sufficient lift to take flight. Only the red-throated loon ( G. stellata) can take off from land. Once airborne, loons are capable of long flights during migration. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, who have implanted satellite transmitters in some individuals, have recorded daily flights of up to 1078 km in a 24-hour period, which probably resulted from single movements. North European loons migrate primarily via the South Baltic and directly over land to the Black Sea or Mediterranean. Loons can live as long as 30 years and can hold their breath for as long as 90 seconds while underwater.

What bird points its head slightly upwards while swimming?

The bird points its head slightly upwards while swimming, but less so than cormorants. In flight, the head droops more than in similar aquatic birds. 1918 illustration of a variety of loons by Archibald Thorburn. Top: Common loon, Mid-left: red-throated loon, Mid-right: yellow-billed loon, Bottom: black-throated loon.

How long do loons feed their chicks?

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. Biologists, especially from Chapman University, have extensively studied the mating behaviour of the common loon ( G. immer ).

How long do loons incubate?

Both male and female build the nest and incubate jointly for 28 days. If the eggs are lost, 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. Common loon on the nest.

What is the difference between a loon and a cormorant?

The loons may be confused with the cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), but can be distinguished from them by their distinct call. Cormorants are not-too-distant relatives of loons, and like them are heavy-set birds whose bellies, unlike those of ducks and geese, are submerged when swimming.

How many species of loons are there?

There are five recognized species of loons (family Gaviidae):

How old are loons when they start breeding?

Extensive banding and observation of marked loons in northern Wisconsin has shown that loons first return to the breeding grounds at age 2-5 years, with males tending to return nearer to their natal territory than females. Both sexes tend to wander and use many different lakes as "floaters" for 2 to 3 years before settling. Males and females both show a striking age-dependent pattern in the means they use to gain a territory: when 4-5 years old, they usually settle in a vacant territory with a mate and thus found a new territory. If they have not acquired a territory by 6-8 years of age, however, they usually attept to seize a territory from an established owner after a violent and prolonged territorial battle. Such battles can be dangerous. In fact, about one-third of all territorial takeovers among males result in the death of the displaced male owner.

How far away do loons live in Minnesota?

The distance between breeding and wintering grounds of the loons we monitored in Minnesota and Wisconsin ranged from 1,170 to 1,570 miles.

What do loons eat?

Common loons feed primarily on fish, but also consume aquatic invertebrates (including crayfish and aquatic insects).

How far did a loon travel?

In one documented case, a loon traveled 670 miles within a 24-hr period. In another case, a loon traveled distances of 360 and 505 miles during two consecutive days . All of these flights were likely single movements.

When do loons return to the wild?

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.

When do loons leave the nest?

Breeding loons, like those radiomarked in this study, leave breeding areas in late October to early November.

How big do loons get?

Common loons reach a size of 28 to 32 inches (71 to 81 centimeters) in length with a wingspan of about 46 inches (117 centimeters). They can weigh between 9 and 12 pounds (4 and 5.5 kilograms). Males are generally larger than females.

Where do loons breed?

Common loons breed on lakes surrounded by forests in Canada and the northern United States, including Alaska. In the winter they migrate from northern lakes to coastal ocean waters. Adult loons are rarely prey for other species, with the possible exception of sea otters and large raptors such as bald eagles and ospreys.

How long do loons live?

The nesting pair will often return to an existing nest the next year. Loons begin breeding at about six years old and are thought to be long-lived birds, living up to 30 years.

What do loons eat?

The common loon feeds primarily on fish. Common loons will often consume their prey underwater, instead of bringing it to the surface to eat. They will also eat a variety of other aquatic animals, such as crayfish and shrimp, as well as vegetation.

How long can a loon stay underwater?

The loon can stay underwater for up to five minutes, its signature red eyes helping it locate prey while submerged. Common loons are skilled in flight, sometimes reaching speeds of 70 miles (110 kilometers) an hour. Because of their relatively heavy bodies, they need a long "runway" to take off for flight and can only do so from water. Their legs trail out behind them while in flight, a characteristic held by all loons.

How many different calls do loons have?

Common loons have four different calls, each used for a different purpose.

What is a loon bird?

Description. Common loons, with their eerie calls, are icons of northern lakes. These long-bodied birds are impressive swimmers and divers. Unlike the majority of bird species, common loons have solid bones, which makes them less buoyant and more effective at maneuvering through water.

What is the common loon's color?

Facts About the Common Loon. The common loon has a black-and-white checkered back in the summer. Its plumage turns gray in the winter. (Image credit: Michael Cummings | Shutterstock ) Loons are swimming and diving birds. They have very distinctive bodies: long and low-slung with spear-like beaks and blood-red eyes.

How much does a loon weigh?

Their weight ranges from 3.5 to 17.6 lbs. (1.6 to 8 kilograms). RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU... In the summer, adults have a black-and-white checkered back. Their heads are an iridescent black and they have a prominent white "necklace," according to the Loon Preservation Committee.

How many loons do the Inuit hunt?

The Inuit tribe legally hunts over 4,500 common loons a year for food, according to National Geographic. They are also a food source for the Cree tribe of Canada. The U.S. Geological Survey found that a loon traveled 670 miles (1,078 kilometers) within a 24-hour period. Additional Resources.

Why can't loons walk?

They are unable to walk easily on land because their legs are located far to the rear of their bodies, according to the Audubon Society. That position also makes them powerful swimmers, however. Common loons are larger than the other loon species, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW).

What is the most common loon in North America?

Common loons are the most widespread and well-known species of loon in North America. There are four other species: red-throated loon, Pacific loon , Arctic loon and yellow-billed loon . A scruffy common loon is featured as a character in the animated movie "Finding Dory.".

Why do loons flap their wings?

A loon has to flap its wings and run across the water in order to gain enough speed to take off. (Image credit: Elliotte Rusty Harold Shutterstock)

How long do loons bond?

Loons are monogamous, according to the Cornell Lab. Pairs typically bond for about five years. When common loons get to their breeding area and mate, the females lay their eggs beside bodies of water or in shallow water. The nest is usually built by both the male and female on the ground.

How big is a loon?

Loon Size#N#The common loon measures about 30 inches from head to tail and has a 5-foot wingspan. Adults weigh 6 to 13 lbs. with the male generally being larger than the female in a pair.

What color are the spots on a loon's back?

Its back and wings are black with white spots, and its underside is white. The black back with white spots matches the sunlit spots sparkling on the surface ripples of a lake. The white underside helps the loon blend in with the bright sky from the perspective of underwater predators.

What is a hoot in a loon?

The hoot is a soft, one-note call loons use in close quarters to call to chicks, mates, or even other loons in a social flock. In social groups, the hoot can be thought of as the loon’s way of saying hi. Audio Player. https://www.northland.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/loon-hoot.mp3. 00:00.

How do loons preen?

To reach their belly and side feathers, loons will roll to one side. They will rub their heads on their backs to waterproof head feathers. Comfort Movements.

What is a loon watch?

LoonWatch, a program of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College, is dedicated to the protection of our region’s loon populations through education, monitoring…

Why do loons need clear water?

Loons need clean, clear water because they search for fish by peering underwater from the surface. Lakes that have limited water clarity due to pollution, algae blooms, or the stirring up of bottom sediments generally are not good for loons. Water depth is believed to be of little importance to loons.

Why don't loons live in lakes?

Loons live on lakes with varying pH levels, but lakes with a pH of 4.5 or less often do not have loons due to low fish populations.

Overview

Description

Loons, which are the size of a big duck or a small goose, resemble these birds in shape when swimming. Like ducks and geese, but unlike coots (which are Rallidae) and grebes (Podicipedidae), the loon's toes are connected by webbing. The loons may be confused with the cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), but can be distinguished from them by their distinct call. Cormorants are not-too-distant relatives of loons, and like them are heavy-set birds whose bellies, unlike those o…

Behaviour and ecology

Etymology and taxonomy

Systematics and evolution

In popular culture

Bibliography

External links