Info, Stories & Reviews From Those Who Love The Northwoods
Scientific Name: Gavia immer
Size: 2 to 3 ft (66 to 91 cm)
Weight: 6.5 to 12 lbs (3 to 5 kg)
Average life span in the wild: 30 years
Diet: Carnivore
Habitat: Forested lakes and large ponds in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Great Lakes region, such as Michigan and Minnesota. They winter all along North America's Atlantic (and sometimes Pacific coasts).
Did you know?: Loons can dive more than 200 ft (61 m) below the surface of the water in search of food.
Read stories and personal accounts from northern Wisconsin residents and visitors who have been lucky enough to witness these graceful beauties.
This book review was submitted by Anna Ward (age 14), a summer resident of Eagle River and a self-proclaimed loon enthusiast from as far back as she can remember. “The Little Looney Tales - Hatched” is written by two authors, Lizzie and Jack. Lizzie resides “Up North” on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Jack lives on the Monterey Coast in California. This is the first book the two authors wrote together and they both share a love and passion for loons. The beautiful illustrations … [Read more...]
Denny Olson is a neat guy from Duluth, Minnesota, who goes around educating about wildlife and nature -- often dressed as the character or animal he is talking about. He has more more than 27 years of experience teaching nature-based lectures and classes in the North Woods and Mountain West. He has done a lot of research on animals such as beavers, hares and loons. Denny Olson usually wears outrageous costumes and tells stories as his characters, or humorous "alter-egos," such as Critterman, … [Read more...]
A special note about loons from the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin: Imagine a northern lake without the haunting, mournful call and stately presence of the common loon. Although still abundant and widespread in most of Alaska and Canada, the common loon's numbers and range have decreased in the lower 48 states of the U.S. The estimated 15,000 loons in the Upper Great Lakes States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan comprise nearly … [Read more...]
What do loons look like? Loons are powerful, streamlined birds with red eyes, greenish-black head, long tapered beak and black and white checkerboard plumage. How large are loons? The Common Loon weighs between 8 - 11 pounds, is about 25 inches tall, and has a wingspread of 5 to 5 1/2 feet. How many species of loons are there? There are four species of loons that exist in the northern hemisphere. The Common Loon, the Arctic Loon, the Yellow-Billed Loon, and the … [Read more...]
Some frequently asked questions - and answers - about the Common Loon and their life cycle: Do loons mate for life? Loons are believed to mate for life, but more research is needed in this area. Do loons have a courtship ritual? Yes. Courtship consists mainly of head dipping and shallow dives. In spring, loons are frequently observed chasing each other across the surface of a lake. This is primarily territorial behavior, not courtship ritual. What does a loon nest look like? The … [Read more...]
These question-and-answers shed light on the typical behavior of the common loon: Where do loons go during the winter? Loons migrate south and east shortly before ice covers the lakes. Exactly where they go is still not fully determined, although it is generally believed loons winter somewhere along the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Do loons migrate in flocks? Yes. In late autumn, generally well before the great freeze, loons congregate on large lakes and fly south … [Read more...]
