March 5, 2026
Author: nationallooncenter
How to Have a Loon & Lake Friendly Weekend
Memorial Day weekend and all the weekends that follow are busy times for lake country waters. We’d like to reshare the advice written by our 2022 Community Outreach Intern, Ava, on how we can all enjoy these beautiful waters while having a loon and lake friendly weekend.
When taking your first step into the water, you may notice nesting loons near the shoreline. Adult Common Loons usually nest at the water’s edge of protected bays or small islands and once the eggs hatch, the small chicks are quite vulnerable. Staying at least 200 feet (the length of a standard ice hockey rink) from loon families, will give them enough space to remain undisturbed. While on a nest, a loon that feels threatened may flatten their body and neck over the water in the hangover position. Loons will do the penguin dance if they feel threatened, and seeing this display is a sign to back away. If you hear the tremolo of a loon, that is another warning sign that either you or a predator is too close to the loon or their chicks. Keep this knowledge in mind, and appreciate all wildlife from a non-intrusive distance.
Cruising around the lake and reeling in fish is certainly part of the fun, but we can be careful in our actions. When out on the boat, keeping a slow speed and observing no wake zones near the shoreline protects the nests and homes of various wild animals, including loons. Wakes should be limited to open areas in the middle of large lakes. Additionally, all fast moving water crafts should always watch out for swimming and diving loons. In the summer of 2022, the National Loon Center recently received a call from a community member that found a deceased loon near shore. Ava brought the loon to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy studies. The diagnosis came back that the likely cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. We are not able to say for sure what could cause that, but we might guess that it would have been from a boat or jet ski collision. The National Loon Center began research on loon mortalities in 2021. Several of the necropsied loons so far have been diagnosed with blunt force trauma. To avoid facing similar situations going forward, water craft drivers should be mindful and attentive at all times.
The necropsy studies have revealed other unfortunate outcomes for the loons. In the summer of 2021, a deceased loon was found and results indicated lead intoxication as the likely cause of death. Lost lead pieces at the bottom of a lake can be mistaken as a pebble by loons or loons may consume fish that carry lead jigs and sinkers. In each situation, the loon would most likely fatally suffer from lead poisoning. Thus, fishing lead-freeand keeping fishing lines out of the water when loons and other wildlife are nearby keeps all inhabitants of the lake safe.
Humans and wildlife alike depend on clean water to survive. Putting in effort to keep any pollutants and unnatural substances out of the water is important to keeps our lakes healthy. We recommend using rest facilities located on shore, not using soaps or shampoos in the lakes, and using trash containers on our boats and at our campsites. We encourage you to cleanyour watercraft and gear before leaving any water access or shoreland, taking special care to remove any aquatic plants, especially invasive specieslike zebra mussels. To ensure our kids will have healthy lakes to play in, and our loons and other wildlife will have a suitable habitat, we can start with keeping our waters clean today.
The lakes are a special place that we hope people will get to enjoy for generations to come. Thank you in advance for respecting freshwater ecosystems not only this upcoming weekend, but each day following. We want to keep the Common Loons common and we need your help. The magical call of the loon contributes to making your experience in the north woods so memorable- so join us in answering the call and protecting our loons long into the future.
Wishing you all a safe and fun summer in the North Woods!
A Summer with the NLC
By Ava Rohleder, Community Outreach Intern
Putting my time interning at the National Loon Center into a few words is not easy. Throughout the summer, while explaining my role within the foundation to others, the most common response I received is “Wow, you are so lucky!” This is an understatement. Between the staff, research team, board members, volunteers, and the greater community of Crosslake, I have learned an incredible amount about how one great nonprofit organization is run, freshwater ecosystems, conservation and preservation in the Northwoods, and of course, the Common Loon. Thank you to everyone who has made these past few months immensely educational and enjoyable. I did not think I could love Northern Minnesota any more than I already did, but man was I wrong!
I am feeling exceptionally grateful as I leave the lakes region with connections and friendships, and I am already looking forward to visiting in the future. As I return to Loyola University Chicago and continue to make progress on my undergraduate degree in the School of Environmental Sustainability, I am inspired by the work that has been and is continuing to be accomplished at the National Loon Center. Special thanks to Jon, Natasha, and Mike for letting me be a part of something so special.
Loon Behaving Lethargically? An Example of What to Do
By Ava Rohleder, Community Outreach Intern, National Loon Center
The National Loon Center received a call on June 21st from a caring Minnesotan in Walker, MN who found a Common Loon “resting” on a Leech Lake shoreline. After observing the bird for several hours, Chip Leer determined that something was amiss. Leer, a National Loon Center board member and renowned outdoor lifestyle guide, was kind enough to share his loon rescue story with us.
“After returning home from a weekend away at a family wedding we noticed a loon on the shoreline. Not that loons are uncommon on Kabekona Bay of Leech Lake, they are not — we purposefully leave windows open at night so we can hear them communicate as it brings us peace. I suppose if we were land lovers we might like the sound of a rooster at 4 a.m., but we’re lake people and prefer the loon 24/7.We noticed that this loon was actually quite a ways out of the water on our small beach and that was unique. It also was odd that it never moved, not an inch. Eventually we witnessed other birds flying by and natural activity taking place, yet still the loon never moved, only to flatten itself as if to stay concealed. We also noticed that the bird appeared tired; its head bobbed as if it was trying not to fall asleep. Initially we avoided the bird hoping it might go away, it didn’t. Then we decided to water some planters lakeside which during any normal wildlife interaction would cause the loon to vacate immediately, but it did not. It was then we decided to make some inquiries.
We first called the National Loon Center as a recent newsletter had suggested, and then reached out to various MN DNR offices including our local conservation officer. No luck there as he was on a nuisance bear call and unavailable. Finally, Jon Mobeck, Executive Director of the National Loon Center, and a good personal friend Joe Carlson of Nevis, MN sent contact information almost simultaneously for Julie at Northwoods Wildlife Rescue. Julie phoned and had a number of questions of which she accessed the bird’s health. From that information, she asked, “How adventurous are you?” I replied, “Somewhat, what’s your thought?” She provided detailed instruction on how to capture and transport the bird, and it came together just as she described. She informed us she didn’t have time to come all the way to us as she is currently caring for dozens of baby wild birds/animals at the moment she couldn’t leave for long but would meet us about 30 minutes away. 24/7 those babies were her responsibility. We followed her instructions for capture that included a fishing net, gloves, long sleeves, eye protection and approach angles. We captured the bird without incident and never felt as if we were providing any harm to the bird, it was also apparent the bird was very tired, not much of a struggle. A few pecks to the gloves, but no worries. We transferred the bird to a cardboard box, covered it with a towel and drove 30 minutes to meet with Julie.
In summary, we were a bit timid on capturing the bird as we did not want to do it any harm and certainly didn’t want to get hurt in the process, after all this is a wild animal. Julie’s detailed instruction and calm demeanor helped us make and execute a plan that was flawless.”
As of today, the bird is released and doing well after it spent time at both Northwoods Wildlife Rescue and Wild & Free wildlife rehab center. We’ve received updates that the loon had no external injuries visible. The loon had a good first night, ate well in the morning, and was excreting well. The loon’s blood was tested to see if there were any internal problems, and weight and bloodwork results came back excellent.
The wildlife rehabilitators’ best guess is that the loon was chased on shore in a territory dispute. It may have lost a little spat and just been exhausted. The rest and plentiful food seem to have served it well, and now the loon is free.
The National Loon Center is grateful to have such dedicated members, like Chip, on our board. In this case, the abnormal behavior of the loon was good cause to intervene and contact both the NLC and a wildlife professional. Lethargy and unusual behavior could be a sign of lead poisoning. This is a fortunate situation where we discovered the loon appeared to be recovering from an injury and was releasable. Although, in the event of a known territorial dispute of loons we may not necessarily intervene as these are natural occurrences in the lives of loons.
The National Loon Center is grateful to continue to work with organizations such as Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release and the University of Minnesota Raptor Center’s Partners for Wildlife program as well as DNR permitted wildlife rehabilitators in statewide wildlife rescue efforts.
For more information about wildlife rehabilitation please visit:
Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release www.wrr-mn.org
Partners for Wildlife www.raptor.umn.edu/partnersforwildlife
If you wish to contribute toward the protections of loons and loon habitat, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the National Loon Center. www.nationallooncenter.org/national-loon-center-foundation
To support the rehabilitation and release efforts of Wild and Free in Garrison, MN, please visit: www.wildandfree.org
To support the rehabilitation and release efforts of Northwoods Wildlife Rescue in Park Rapids, MN, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/northwoodswildliferescue/home
A Loon & Lake Friendly 4th of July
By Ava Rohleder, Community Outreach Intern, National Loon Center
A big weekend for our lake country waters is approaching: The 4th of July. This federal holiday prompts folks to get together with friends and family to spend time playing cards in cabins, by the shore circled around a bonfire, and of course, out on the lake swimming, boating, fishing, and canoeing, from sun rise to sun set. While participating in fun summertime activities, we must keep in mind that we are visitors on these precious waters. I would like to share tips on behalf of the National Loon Center in hopes we can collectively have a loon and lake friendly holiday weekend.
When taking your first step into the water, you may notice nesting loons near the shoreline. Adult Common Loons usually nest along the protected areas on freshwater lakes and once the eggs hatch, the small chicks are quite vulnerable. Staying at least 200 feet from loon families, will give them enough space to remain undisturbed. Loons will do the penguin dance if they feel threatened, and seeing this display is a sign to back away. If you hear the tremolo of a loon, that is another warning sign that either you or a predator is too close to the loon or their chicks. Keep this knowledge in mind, and appreciate all wildlife from a non-intrusive distance.
Cruising around the lake and reeling in fish is certainly part of the fun, but we can be careful in our actions. When out on the boat, keeping a slow speed near the shoreline protects the nests and homes of various wild animals, including loons. Wakes should be limited to open areas in the middle of large lakes. Additionally, all fast moving water crafts should always watch out for swimming and diving loons. The National Loon Center recently received a call from a community member that found a deceased loon near shore. I brought the loon to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for necropsy studies. The diagnosis came back that the likely cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. We are not able to say for sure what could cause that, but we might guess that it would have been from a boat or jet ski collision. The National Loon Center began research on loon mortalities in 2021. Last year, one of the necropsied loons was also diagnosed with blunt force trauma. To avoid facing similar situations going forward, water craft drivers should be mindful and attentive at all times.
The necropsy studies have revealed other unfortunate outcomes for the loons. Last summer, at Big Lake Resort, a deceased loon was found and results indicated lead intoxication as the likely cause of death. Lost lead pieces at the bottom of a lake can be mistaken as a pebble by loons or loons may consume fish that carry lead jigs and sinkers. In each situation, the loon would most likely fatally suffer from lead poisoning. Thus, fishing lead-freeand keeping fishing lines out of the water when loons and other wildlife are nearby keeps all inhabitants of the lake safe.
Humans and wildlife alike depend on clean water to survive. Putting in effort to keep any pollutants and unnatural substances out of the water is important to keeps our lakes healthy. We recommend using rest facilities located on shore, not using soaps or shampoos in the lakes, and using trash containers on our boats and at our campsites. We encourage you to cleanyour watercraft and gear before leaving any water access or shoreland, taking special care to remove any aquatic plants, especially invasive specieslike zebra mussels. To ensure our kids will have healthy lakes to play in, and our loons and other wildlife will have a suitable habitat, we can start with keeping our waters clean today.
The lakes are a special place that we hope people will get to enjoy on the 4th of July weekend for generations to come. Thank you in advance for respecting freshwater ecosystems not only this upcoming weekend, but each day following. We want to keep the Common Loons common and we need your help. The magical call of the loon contributes to making your experience in the north woods so memorable- so join us in answering the call and protecting our loons long into the future.
Wishing you all a safe and fun holiday!
From the Field: Loon Chicks on the Water
By Emma Weber, National Loon Center & Loon Project Research Intern
As summer begins, many of the loon pairs in our study area can be seen with chicks riding on their backs or trailing them in the water. This week, I checked some territories on the Whitefish Chain with Emily (another research intern) and Mike (Program and Operations Associate for the NLC), and we were excited to find eight pairs on Cross and Rush lakes with either one or two chicks.
This brought the grand total this season to 19 sighted chicks, although hopefully the number will quickly rise as we continue to revisit lakes. When observing chicks, it’s always interesting to see them practice behaviors such as preening, “foot waggling,” and flapping their tiny wings. My favorite part, though, is watching how chicks interact with their parents.
A family of loons on Eagle Lake spent time together while I visited last weekend. One chick stayed on the parent’s back while the other alternated between floating in the water and laboriously climbing back up to sit beside its sibling, despite being so small that it was probably only a few days old. When the mate returned from foraging with some fish for the chicks, both chicks happened to be on the back of the resting parent. Seeing the food, the active chick quickly leaped into the water, which earned it a call from the parent that seemed to say, “I told you not to do that!”
Video of a loon pair with its chick on Rush Lake by Emma Weber
I’ve also learned that not all parents stay constantly close to their young. During an intense interaction with an intruding loon (a loon that enters a pair’s territory to compete with a pair member), a couple of parents on Rush Lake left their chick floating in the water near some boat docks while they dealt with the intruder much farther offshore. Once I noticed the chick sitting in open water, I was anxious for the parents to return to it. I couldn’t help but think of all the different predators on the lakes that would gladly make lunch out of a small chick- eagles, ospreys, large fish, and snapping turtles come to mind. However, the parents had the situation under control; soon, the intruder fled, and they returned to their chick.
While several pairs have hatched their chicks, some laid clutches of eggs later and continue to incubate. As the season progresses, we will keep an eye out for failed nests while hoping that the next time we visit each incubating pair, we can experience the excitement of finding one or two new chicks.
Become a Citizen Loon Scientist From Your Backyard
The National Loon Center began a long-term research study of the Minnesota common loon population in 2021. You too can contribute to loon research by documenting loon sightings in your “backyard” through community science projects. In fact, April is Citizen Science Month! As this time of year is the spring migration of common loons, we’ll focus on the migration project, Journey North. There is also iNaturalist and eBird, which are global databases that you can use on a desktop or mobile device. Let’s learn more about each project below:
Loon Migration: Journey North
Journey North tracks migration and seasonal changes across North America. The common loon study relies on individuals to report their first sightings of loons and the dates of ice-out on lakes. Learn more from Program Coordinator, Nancy Sheehan, about Journey North below:
- What is Journey North and how does it work?
“Journey North is a crowdsourced, citizen science program of the University of Wisconsin, Madison Arboretum. Begun in 1993, Journey North has engaged a wide audience across North America in tracking the migration of many different species, including monarch butterflies, six species of hummingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, barn swallows, Baltimore and Bullock’s orioles, American robins and, of course, common loons. Because many of these migratory species travel thousands of miles each year, Journey North needs a crowd to capture the action. From Canada, the U.S., Mexico and beyond, we need your help. Every observation counts. All that is needed is an observant eye and 15 minutes to enter the data online.
Whether you submit observational reports or not, you can watch migration unfold on Journey North’s many migration maps or follow along by reading our weekly news updates.”
2. Why study migration and seasonal changes?
“About 350 (or about 15%) of all bird species in North America are migratory. (eBird) The estimate for insects is about 71 migratory insects. (NWF) Few people are aware of these incredible journeys. Migration stories are amazing stories about survival and resilience and can be truly inspiring to learn about. Beyond these stories being inspirational, it is also imperative to know more about migration. Many migratory birds and insects are in decline. By becoming a volunteer with Journey North, you not only contribute data to migration science, you become a local expert who can tell the migration story to others. You will also become more “in the know” about habitat needs of migratory species. Migratory species need access to food and shelter all along their migration routes — both in the spring and in the fall. By tracking migration, you contribute information that can indicate where habitat is most needed for migratory species. Your observational reports help us all visualize where critical migration corridors link breeding and non-breeding ranges. While our migration tracking and habitat conservation work may be local, our collective impact will be continental.”
3. How do I submit my first sightings of common loons? Can I include loons that are “stopping by”?
“To submit an observational report, you must first set up an account with Journey North. This is an easy, three-step process. Go to our registration page to learn more.
After you have registered, you are ready to submit an observational report. Journey North asks for the date, location, and number of species observed. A photograph can accompany an observational report. Comments are welcome too! With drop down menus and straightforward information fields, report submission is a quick process. You will need to have access to the internet. Go to our sightings page to learn more.
For the Journey North Common Loon Project, we ask you to submit when you observed your first loon in spring (anytime between January and June). We also ask you to enter data on ice-out dates. For Journey North, it’s all about the journey, not only the destination. Please tell us when you see a common loon regardless of whether you report from a destination/breeding lake or at a stop-over waterbody.”
4. What can we learn from comparing year-to-year ice out dates?
“Even though we have learned much about wildlife migration, there is still so much to learn. For example, we are not entirely sure how animals and insects know when and where to migrate, especially if they have never been to their breeding or non-breeding ranges. Another big question is how climate change is impacting migration. For example, common loons need open water to land and take off during spring migration. But are lakes, ponds and other waterbodies “open” when loons need them that open water? Tracking ice-out dates over many years can contribute to understanding the impact of climate change on loon migration, answering this and many other questions.”
Join journeynorth.org
Photographing Loons: iNaturalist
iNaturalist is one of the most widely used nature apps out there and tracks biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist relies on community observers to ID observations of flora and fauna. If you have a photo of a common loon and remember the date, time, and location where you took the picture, then you can upload via your desktop. Or, download the iNaturalist app on your phone to submit observations in real time — the date, time, and location will be automatically recorded.
A unique, though morbid, feature of iNaturalist is that observers can submit photos of living or deceased animals. Photos of deceased animals can help scientists study mortality, especially if there is evidence of how the animal may have died.
Join www.inaturalist.org
Go Looning: eBird
Perhaps for the more advanced user, eBird allows you to submit checklists of the species you see and hear while out birding. We’ll dub looking for loons during your outing “looning.” Although, you will need to record all species of birds you come across to submit a complete checklist. eBird is more advanced as you keep track of the number of each species of bird you see over a certain time period, taking care not to double count birds. You can record your checklist on paper and submit it via your desktop when you return home or do so directly from the eBird app on your phone.
Using the eBird website from your computer gives you access to species and region maps where you can see the distribution of birds across a geographic range or look for birding hotspots.
Join ebird.org