Common Loon Facts

A few fun loon facts: There are five species of loons in the world, but only the Common Loon breeds in Maine. Loons migrate to the Atlantic, Gulf or Pacific coasts of North America during the winter months returning to fresh water lakes and ponds in the summer. Breeding loon pairs generally return to the same lake each spring and often to the same territory where they were born.

If loons are lucky, they’ll live to be 25-30 years old.  Adult loons are three feet long and have a four foot wingspan. A male in peak breeding condition can weigh up to 14 pounds. 

Contrary to popular belief, loons do not mate for life, however the mating bond will last up to seven years. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs on their nest which take 26-31 days to hatch. Typical dates for nesting in Maine are between mid-May and mid-June. Most loons’ nests have two eggs.

The chicks are able to swim immediately after hatching and within a week they can dive short distances underwater. Chicks ride on their parents backs during the first three months of life to remain safe from enemies, conserve energy, and stay warm.

The Common Loon has four different main calls: 

The "wail" sounds like a wolf howl. Individuals use this call to find their mates and chicks.

The "tremolo" call sounds like a trembling laugh. It is normally used when loons are disturbed, it is also the only call they use while flying.

The "yodel" is a sustained call made up of several of the same three syllable squeals. This is an aggressive call generally given in territorial confrontations by male loons. Each male has an individual yodel. Only the male yodels, so that is one way to tell males from females.

Finally, the "hoot" is a soft one-note call loons use in close quarters. 

Photo: Courtesy of Randy & Sheila Moses, Raymond Pond, ME