Library #30 · B Wetland · Wave 2

Common Loon

Gavia immer · Gaviidae

Haunting wails and yodels — the voice of the north woods.

At a glance

Size: 26–36 in
Wingspan: 40–52 in
Habitat: Clear northern lakes (breed); coastal waters (winter)
Diet: Fish caught in underwater pursuits

Range: Canada and northern U.S. lakes; winters on coasts

Nesting: Ground nest at the water’s edge; sensitive to shoreline disturbance.

Coloring pose idea: On glassy lake with reflection

Hear this bird

General call / song: Wail, yodel (males), tremolo (alarm), and hoot contact calls.

Mating / display: Pair / courtship recordings are linked below when Audubon labels them. Original note — Male’s territorial yodel; pair duetting wails across the lake.

Buttons open trusted public pages with playable recordings. We link out — we do not host or embed the audio.

Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide Mating / courtship calls

How to know it

Breeding: black head, checkered black-and-white back, red eye.
Winter: drab gray-brown above, white below.
Sits low in the water; dagger bill held level.

Behavior

Expert divers; legs set far back (awkward on land).
Needs long water runways for takeoff.
Iconic night wails on breeding lakes.

Fun facts

Minnesota’s state bird.
Bones are denser than many birds — an aid to diving.
Chicks ride on a parent’s back in the first days.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text or short paraphrases with source links. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.