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Key Characteristics. The Common loon is a large, heavy-bodied bird, averaging 32 inches (81.3 cm) in length, with a wingspan of about 5 feet (1.5 m). In breeding plumage, its head and dagger-like bill are dark, its breast white, and its back is a distinctive black and white checkerboard pattern.
In winter, they are plain gray above and white below, and you’ll find them close to shore on most seacoasts and a good many inland reservoirs and lakes. Common Loons are powerful, agile divers that catch small fish in fast underwater chases.
30 cze 2022 · Loon species in Michigan include the recognizable black and white Common Loon and the elegant Red-throated Loon. Common loons can be seen only during summer in the state, while the red-throated loons will only migrate through the Mitten State.
The loons’ hauntingly beautiful voice is matched by its striking plumage, with a collar of white stripes and intricate patterns of white and black feathers on wings and back. The loon wanders endlessly. It summers on northern lakes and migrates in a perilous journey to the seacoast each fall.
30 cze 2023 · Common Loon – Photo by Alan SChmierer. Identification. In breeding plumage, Common Loons have a black back, wings, neck, and head with white checkerboard markings on the wings, and a white “necklace” marking. The black on the head and neck is iridescent and can show a green sheen in the right lighting.
Flaws in estimating the number of loons in Michigan have occurred in most surveys because of the vast number of lakes (11,000 plus) in Michigan and the difficulties of obtaining a random sample large enough to be representative of the entire state.
The Michigan Loon Preservation Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the Common Loon as a breeding bird in Michigan through public education, research, and the protection and management of loons and their habitat.
