Learn About Loons

Loons are considered one of the most primitive birds on earth. They have not changed from their current form for the last one million years. The first loon relative appeared about 25 million years ago and measured about six feet from beak to tail. There are five species of loons in the world: Common Loon (Gavia immer), Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii), Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica), Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica), and the Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata). Only the Common Loon breeds in the lower 48 states and usually nests on inland lakes.

• LoonWatch focuses on the protection of common loons and their aquatic habitats through education, monitoring, and research.
• Loon Identification—What does a common loon look like?
• Loon Behavior & Vocalizations—Learn how to identify the diverse behaviors of loons and what they mean.
• Loon Ecology—Learn about the life cycle of a loon and loon habitat.
• Frequently Asked Common Loon Questions—Do loons mate for life? Are loons protected? How many eggs do loons lay? Look here for the answers to these and other frequently asked loon questions.
• Other Loon Groups & Resources—Visit these websites for information and news about loons across North America.
• Loon Artificial Nesting Platforms—Determine if your lake is a good candidate for a nesting platform and find out what you need to do to acquire a permit or notify the Wisconsin DNR about your platform project.

Event Calendar
October 2012
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Brown Bag: A Century of Landscape Change in Alaska National Parks as Revealed by Repeat Photography
Oct 24, 2012
Noon @ SOEI Sentry Room

Brown Bag: A Century of Landscape Change in Alaska National Parks as Revealed by Repeat Photography

Oct 24, 2012

Location Information
Noon @ SOEI Sentry Room

Repeat photography has been used to document changes in ecosystems and landscapes across Alaska's National Parks by retaking historical photographs dating back to 1895. Most of the effort has been concentrated in the Lake Clark, Katmai and Aniakchak parklands in southwest Alaska. The photographs document a wide variety of changes associated with glaciers, coasts, floodplains, volcanism, landslides, avalanches, lakeshores, plant succession, shrub expansion, tree expansion, people, and human disturbance. The Park Service has initiated a new effort to involve the public in the retaking of old photographs in Alaska.

Torre Jorgenson is a landscape ecologist with Alaska Ecoscience in Fairbanks, Alaska. He also is adjunct professor with University of Alaska Fairbanks, is Past President of the U.S Permafrost Association, and is a graduate of UMD. He has worked on ecology and geomorphology studies throughout Alaska for thirty years, focusing on landscape change, vegetation-soil-permafrost interactions and impacts of human activities. A primary focus has been terrain mapping, coastal studies, and soil carbon/permafrost dynamics. He has been monitoring coastal changes on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta and in southwestern Alaska parklands.

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Ways to Support LoonWatch

Supporting LoonWatch can include donating your photography, volunteering to be a citizen scientist for research projects, giving a cash donation that ensure LoonWatch will be here to help loons thrive in the Northwoods. For more information, please contact Erica LeMoine at (715) 682-1220 or email at loonwatch@northland.edu.