Aaron and Kyra

During the winter, a Loons Plumage changes. The new plumage is shown in the picture. The loon is a bird that migrates during the winter. Searching for warmer waters to stay in during the cold times. During the winter the loon is found on coasts of oceans or large fresh water lakes.

As you can see, during the summer the plumage of the Common Loon is quite different then during the winter. The dark orange represents the summer area of the Common Loon. The loon nests on the edge of lakes during the summer

When disturbed the loon folds its wings against its body and swims upright in what is called a penguin dance. With its wings tucked against its body it looks kind of like a penguin. This dance is done when the loon is trying to scare enemies away from its chicks. "Dancing" like this takes a lot of energy so it's important that you keep your distance from loons. If you get too close to it and its chicks or nest, the loon will think you're its enemy and start the penguin dance. If you don't leave the area, the loon can dance until it's exhausted and dies.

A large wet mass of plant material near the surface of the lake, sometimes on top of muskrat mound. Placed along shoreline or on floating island.

Loons are made for living on the water. The torpedo-like body is streamlined for swimming underwater. The legs of a loon are set far back on its body to work like oars with its large webbed feet. The body color, dark on top and light on the bottom makes loons less visible to fish as they swim. Some scientists think the loon's red eyes help it see better underwater. Because the loon's legs are so far back on its body and because its body is so long, loons have trouble taking-off. Have you ever seen a loon "running" across a lake? A loon has to run across the water for up to ¼ mile beating its wings in order to get enough lift to take off. This need for a long runway means that loons need a certain size lake in order to take off. You'll rarely find a loon in lakes under 9 or 10 acres.

A.Red-billed Grebe (winter) B.Red-necked Grebe (winter) C.Horned Grebe (winter) D.Red-throated Loon (summer) E.Red-throated Loon (winter) F.Common Loon (winter) G.Common Loon (summer)