Stan Tekiela - Loons: The Iconic Waterbirds

Dedication

Dedicated to William (Buck) Huber, a man whose love for loons and photography helped inspire this book.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank technical editor Jim Paruk, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin, whose extensive knowledge of loons significantly contributed to the accuracy of this book.

Thanks!

Cover photo: Common Loon by Stan Tekiela

All photos by Stan Tekiela except by vadimmmus.

Edited by Sandy Livoti and Brett Ortler
Cover and book design by Jonathan Norberg and Stephen Sullivan

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Loons: The Iconic Waterbirds

First Edition 2006 (entitled Fascinating Loons)

Second Edition 2021

Copyright 2006 and 2021 by Stan Tekiela

Published by Adventure Publications

An imprint of AdventureKEEN

310 Garfield Street South

Cambridge, Minnesota 55008

(800) 678-7006

www.adventurepublications.net

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-64755-209-1 (pbk.); 978-1-64755-210-7 (ebook)

Contents

Our wonderful loons

As a professional naturalist and wildlife photographer, I often spend days, weeks or sometimes months observing, studying and photographing a subjectand the loons in this book are no exception. In these pages you will find images that took me over 30 years to gather. Many of the behaviors described in the text I personally witnessed and photographed. As much as I enjoyed researching, writing and photographing, I hope youll enjoy this book about our fascinating loons even more.

Enjoy the Loons!

Stan Tekiela

Fascinating loons

The striking black-and-white breeding plumage and deep red eyes of the Common Loon befit its elegance and grace. Loons are physically amazing, with large, powerful feet that propel the birds underwater at speeds fast enough to overtake fish. They have wings capable of carrying them thousands of miles to wintering grounds and back again with the changes of the seasons. The call of the loon catapults our memories to a time spent camping or brings to mind a lakeside summer vacation. Yes, loons have fascinated people for thousands of yearsjust as they do today. Here is the story of the Common Loon.

Myths of the creation

Several native cultures tell stories of how the loon was created. According to one, the loon and the crow were once men. They were good friends and did everything together. One day they decided to go fishing. One of the men caught lots of fish. The other man caught none. The man who had no fish became so upset that he hit his friend, cut out his tongue and threw him overboard. The Great Spirit felt sorry for the beaten man and turned him into a beautiful loon, while his friend was turned into a crow.

A story from Finnish culture tells us when the first loon was created, it didnt have legs or feet. Nature realized its mistake and flung a pair of legs and feet at the bird as it was leaving, which is why the legs and feet are located so far back on the loons body.

Folklore of the necklace

Loons have played a part in the lives of native peoples around the world. Many ancient cultures have stories and myths about loons. There are various folktales about loons restoring sight to blind children or healing the failed sight of medicine men. Legend has it that a loon would carry an afflicted person on its back to the bottom of a lake, once, twice, again and again until enough water washed over the persons eyes to restore his or her eyesight. It has been said that a grateful person made the loon a gift of thanksa necklace of white shellsand hung it around the loons neck for all to see. To this day, all loons wear a necklace of white plumage resembling the strand of white shells given in gratitude long ago.

The lore of the call

A story about the loons call comes from Micmac Indian culture. A man named Glooscap came to visit the Micmac tribe one day. The people enjoyed his company so much, they did not want him to leave. Even so, after a few days he had to move on. Because the Micmacs were so lonely, Glooscap appointed Kwee-moo, the loon, as his special messenger. Glooscap said he would return whenever the loon called because his call could be heard from far away. Today we know that special call as the wail of the loon.

Down through history it was thought that loons could predict the coming of rain. Some cultures believed the call of a loon triggered rain. These notions are why the loon is also called the Rain Crow.

More recently, the peculiar laughing call of the loon led to the phrase crazy as a loon.

The five species of loons

Loons are in their own order, the Gaviiformes. The loon family, called Gaviidae, comprises five species. Each species can be found in North America: Common Loon (Gavia immer), Yellow-billed Loon (G. adamsii), Red-throated Loon (G. stellata), Pacific Loon (G. pacifica), and Arctic Loon (G. arctica). All nest in Alaska, and all but the Arctic Loon nest in Canada. The Common Loon is the only species that nests in the lower 48 states. Loons are closely related to grebes.

Origins of the scientific name

In 1758, Linnaeus, the father of the genus and species naming systems, gave loons and grebes one genus name, Colymbus, from the Greek word kalymbis, meaning diving bird. The British insisted on calling the genus Colymbus, while the Americans wanted separate names to reflect the differences between loons and grebes. The dispute was resolved in 1789 when the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature abolished the name Colymbus and called the loon genus Gavia, Latin for aquatic bird, crediting the name to German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster. Forster traveled around the world with Captain James Cook in the 1700s and recorded many species, including the loon.

The species name of the Common Loon, immer, is from the Latin immergo, meaning to immerse or to submerge.