April 9, 1999

     Arrival of the Loon

As the ice continues to leave our lakes, people report seeing loons on the open water.  The common loon, officially designated the Minnesota state bird in 1961, is a summer resident throughout most of the state except the southern regions and the Red River Valley.  Loons appear in spring with the disappearance of the ice.  Their fall migration peaks in mid-October, although many linger until driven away by the freezing lakes.

Loons are beautiful black and white birds about two feet long, the size of a goose.  Loons are known for their diving ability and have been caught in fishing nets as far as 200 feet below the water surface.  They treat us to echoing calls and yodel-like laughing and are the symbol of the Minnesota wilderness for many people.

Each pair, together, selects an open expanse of lake where no other loons are tolerated during the period of nesting and raising the young.  Only one pair will be found nesting on a small lake, but on large lakes with islands and bays there may be several pairs.  An exception to this desire for seclusion is the occasional social gathering of 10 or more loons, sometimes seen in noisy active performances in the early morning and the evening.  Most nest building occurs in June in Minnesota.