Loons are the oldest groups of birds still living today, with a history stretches back more than 50 million years. Many bones of the loon’s body are solid, rather than hollow like those of other birds. These heavy bones make loons less buoyant and help loons to dive.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about Common Loon is their haunting and variable voice. Loons are most vocal from mid-May to mid-June. They have four distinct calls which they use to communicate with their families and other loons; these are the tremolo, wail, yodel and hoot. The yodel is given only by the male. It is a long, rising call with repetitive notes and can last up to six seconds. It is used by the male to defend his territory and can be stimulated by another male entering a loon’s territory. Studies of recordings have shown that the yodel is different for each loon and can be used to identify individual loons.

Loons will use whatever material on hand to build their nests; pine tree needles, leaves, grass, moss, and sometimes clumps of mud and vegetation are collected from the lake bottom to build the nest. Both the male and female work together to help build their home, which usually lasts 31+/- days.

NH admires the Loon so much we even have an Annual Loon Festival at the Loon Center in Moultonborough, NH, every July.