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Common
Loon
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Length:
24 inches Wingspan: 58 inches
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Sexes
similar
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Large
diving bird with long body that rides low in the water
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Large
bill is straight, tapers to a point, and is held horizontally
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Feet
set far back on body, and trail behind body in flight
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Upperwings
wholly dark in flight
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The common loon (Gavia immer) is anything but common. Red-eyed, with
distinctive black and white markings, the loon has a dagger-like beak
that apparently is perfect for its long, underwater fishing trips
diving to depths of over 90 ft. The loon is most closely related to
primitive birds, and its soliloquy of cries can sound eerily prehistoric.
It is silent in winter, but in summer the loon is truly loquacious,
with a repertoire of sounds that haunt the lake or waterway with strange
laughter-like calls, falsetto wails and strange yodeling. At night,
the effect is absolutely mesmerizing. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
March
3, 2006