What do loons go in the winter

Recent satellite telemetry studies, as well as sightings of banded birds, reveal that most New England loons winter off the Northeast coast. Generally, breeding loons from further west in Ontario will travel further south to the Chesapeake and the Carolinas, while loons from the Midwest often spend the winters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Loons breeding further west in Alberta and British Columbia spend winters along the Pacific coast. Common Loon sightings reported to eBird from March 1 to 8.

Click on the map to see the latest March reports and add your sightings. Biodiversity Research Institute and the U. Geological Survey , which have spearheaded studies of loon winter ecology, have made some interesting discoveries. Male loons nesting in Maine tended to stay off the Maine coast during winter, while their female counterparts ventured further south, ending up from Cape Cod to Chincoteague, MD. Is this a strategy that enables the earliest possible return by males to their breeding lakes, shortly after ice melt?

It is now known that many wintering loons return to the same area year after year, paralleling their strong breeding site fidelity in summer. A paper by Jim Paruk in Condor: Ornithological Applications noted that site-faithful loons likely gain fitness and survivorship advantages via local knowledge of a discrete wintering area.

As winter transforms into spring during the coming weeks, loons will bide their time on open waters, waiting for the right moment return to breeding areas, anticipating ice-free lakes. The loon is a beloved symbol of the natural beauty and wildlife of Maine, and it even appears on one of our license plates. After reaching record low numbers in the s, organizations such as Maine Audubon, and volunteers across the state have worked to monitor the loon population and advocate for their protection against threats such as human disturbance of nesting sites, degraded water quality, boat traffic, and lead poisoning from discarded lead-based fishing tackle.

Recent data indicates that adult populations in Maine have been increasing since the early s. Appearance: An adult loon can be up to 28 inches long, with a wing span of 50 inches, and can weigh up to 14 pounds. A breeding adult has a distinctive black and white pattern on its back and wings, a band of white, a shiny black head and bill, and a red eye.

In the winter, adult loons have a duller appearance, with a dark gray back and a white throat and chest. The Common Loon is a true water bird. With solid bones and large muscles, they are talented swimmers and divers, but are not very efficient at flying or walking on land.

Their diet consists primarily of small fish, which they catch and swallow while on underwater dives. An adult may consume two pounds of fish per day. For example we might mark a bird with a red band over blue band on the left leg. This marking method has been very successful and safe for the loons as well. Why do loons have to run across the water to fly? Mario A: Loons are a relatively heavy bird because their bodies are designed for diving. They have nearly solid bones while most other birds have hollow bones.

While their weight is helpful in swimming and diving it makes it hard for them to take off and fly. For this reason they need to run on the water, somewhat like a airplane taking off on a runway. Why do the young loons fight? Kyle A: Young loons fight to establish a "pecking order" or dominance between the chicks. Loon chicks hatch 24 hours apart and often the first chick to hatch is slightly bigger and is dominant.

This means that when the parents bring food the bigger chick is more likely to get fed. While this may seem cruel to the smaller "brother or sister" it is a survival mechanism. If the loon parents don't bring enough food for both chicks the larger dominant chick is likely to survive rather than both chicks being weaker and more vulnerable. Belle Plaine bpel informns. If you were able to take care of a loon with permission, would you be allowed to try to tame it?

And if so, would it let you touch it? Erica A: There are a few people who have kept loons in captivity. Mostly loons are "taken care of" at animal rehabilitation centers if they have been injured or are sick. These birds are treated and the goal is to release them to the wild again.

The Minnesota Zoo has had the most intensive loon rearing program. They raised several loon chicks but were not able to keep the young bird alive to adulthood. Loons do not appear to do well in captivity.

There are also a few stories of people who have "tamed " loons on their lake. This is an unusual situation and in the few instances it has occurred the loons are not tame enough to be touched. Where can you find loons in the U. Autumn A: Most nesting loons in the U.

The majority are found in Minnesota, Maine and Wisconsin. In the winter and during migration you can find loons along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as on inland lakes along migration routes. For example, Walker Lake in Nevada has a large number of loons during parts of the winter. How long can loons stay underwater? Matt D.

The average length of a loon dive is about one minute but they have been recorded underwater for 10 to 15 minutes. This however was when the loon was disturbed and was extreme.