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| The Common Loon is the most prominent bird in the area, easily recognizable and known to all, and there is at least one pair for every lake in the Algonquin Highlands. They have large, heavy bodies with thick, pointed black or dark grey bills. During the breeding season, the head and neck are black with white bands on the neck. The back is black with white spots. In the winter, their crown, hindneck, and back are dark grey, and the throat and underside are white. The call of the Loon is one of the best know in the wild, a striking, mournful, unearthly cry, halfway between laughing and wailing. This incredible cry can be heard from two or three km away, and is often used at night. Loons are in their element underwater, with eyes that can focus both above and underwater, and fairly solid bones that make them heavier than most birds. Expert divers, they usually remain underwater between 45 seconds and 3 minutes, and can dive as far down as 60 metres. Their streamlined bodies and powerful webbed feet, along with the ability to concentrate oxygen in their leg muscles to sustain them during long dives makes them a great predator. They use amazing speed and quick underwater pivots to catch fish, their main source of food. The Loon also eats shellfish, frogs, and aquatic insects. Contrary to their amazing abilities underwater is their difficulty moving on dry land. Their wings, barely big enough to fly, do not allow for rapid acceleration. They must build up speed before taking off by flapping their wings and running along the water. Their legs are located near the back of their bodies, making them effective underwater, but not on land. They must awkwardly waddle or flop along on their bellies for movement, much unlike the ease they feel in water. The nesting habits of the Common Loon reflect this difficulty on land, as they place their nests within a metre of the shore. The nest is a low mass of dead vegetation with a depression in the center. Two large, greenish-brown, lightly-spotted eggs are laid, each measuring about 6 to 9 cm. The young are able to swim and dive only a few short hours after hatching, and remain with their watchful parents until migration in early November. Loons arrive back in the area in late April or early May, as soon as the lakes are clear. A major threat to the Loon is pollution, which is a problem not only here, but also in the U.S., where they spend the winter months. The consumption of fish containing poisons strongly affects the populations that return for the breeding season. Acid rain, which causes the sterilization of lakes, is also a concern and may, one day, cause problems, although there is no evidence of any to date. |
Gavia immer
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