Loony Facts

  1. • Ancient ceremonies of the Eskimos used loons as a symbol of good harvest and of the heavens. They also often used loons as the head of their totem poles.


  1. • An ancient legend of the Algonquin tribe tells the story of Glooskap and the relationship he shared with the Kwee-mo, the Algonquin word for loon. To learn more about the Algonquin legend visit: First People- The Legends.


  1. • Loons were the first bird to be classified in the American Ornithologists Union Check-list of North American Birds.


  1. • Gavia immer swallow their food underwater.


  1. • In 1927  a loon was found dead in Pennsylvania because it tried to swallow a fifteen-inch walleye and it got caught in the loon’s throat!


  1. • Loons have four different distinct calls: the yodel, the tremolo, the hoot, and the wail.


  1. • Loons can live up to 30 years old!


  1. • Heights of 7,000 feet or more can be reached by a loon in flight!


  1. • The state bird of Minnesota is Gavia immer.

To learn more about other organisms visit multipleorganisms.net!