Loons

Loons are large, sleek waterbirds with sharp, dagger-like bills that distinguish them from ducks, geese, and cormorants. They ride low in the water and dive frequently for food. Their body shape is longer than that of most ducks. Loons trade their boldly patterned breeding plumage for drab, generic grays in winter, making them challenging to identify.

Size:
24 to 34 inches (0.6096 to 0.8636 meters)

Where they live:
Northern lakes and large ponds in summer; coastal waters and larger inland lakes in winter. Adults build floating nests of reeds and other aquatic vegetation along the edges of lakes and large ponds.

What they eat:
Small fish, crustaceans, other sea life, some plant material.

Sounds:
The eerie yodeling wail of the male Common Loon, a defining sound of the north woods, can be heard several miles away.

Etc.:
Unlike most birds, loons have marrow-filled bones that allow them to dive as deep as 250 feet (76.2 meters). Their webbed feet are set far back on the body, making them slow and clumsy on land. Though the more northerly loon species seldom encouter people, Common Loons are vulnerable to human disturbance during nesting as well as heavy-metal poisoning from pollution and fishing weights.