April 13, 2001

     Arrival of the Loon

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 shortly after the disappearance of ice, and their fall migration peaks in mid-October, although some linger until driven away by the freezing lakes.

Loons are beautiful black-and-white birds about 2 feet long -- the size of a goose. They are known for their diving ability and have been caught in fishing nets as far as 200 feet below the water surface. The symbol of the Minnesota wilderness for many, loons treat us to echoing calls and yodel-like laughing.

Fish, which are the loon's principal food, are pursued beneath the surface of the water with great speed and power.

Each pair of loons 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 pair. 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, with the peak of nest establishment in the northern part of the state between June 15 and 18.