Falling Loons

There has been occurring in central Wisconsin this last week (and maybe this week given the weather) a phenomenon of which I never heard of before--falling loons. Last year, I did a post about loons on a lake in northeast Wisconsin and the trials they have of surviving predators--eagles, racoons, mink, northern pike, muskie, and a whole host of other animals attack the egg, the young, or even larger birds. That post is available here.  As if loons did not have sufficient trials and tribulations living in their natural habitat on a lake, or coastal waters, they are now, falling from the sky. Yes, literally falling from the sky!

Loon nest with egg, June 2022

Loons breed in far north Wisconsin and points north. They migrate across the nation and generally settle in coastal waters during the winter. Flying high in the sky, the loons are now migrating, but the cold temperatures this spring have caused ice to form on their bodies, the weight becomes too great and they fall out of the sky. This has occurred around Antigo and other areas of Wisconsin, and with cold temperatures this past weekend, probably was still occurring, and maybe even this week. The lucky loons are those that a human can find and take to a proper sized lake for rest, rehabilitation. They can then take off for points further north. The unlucky ones may land in small bodies of water, farm fields, or forests where no one may find them. I can see those poor loons being ripe for predators.

Loon Habitat and Migration Zones

What a sorry situation. The loons need a weather forecaster. Loons also need a decent sized water body to survive, since they cannot waddle or walk--they can only swim and fly. Hence, the one found in a cow pasture near Antigo was hopefully rescued and put on the right path. Loons need about a quarter mile (1,320') "runway" of water to get airborne. Actually, I am surprised it is not longer as I have seen many loons take flight and it takes a great deal of length. Once they take flight, they fly really well, with some being tracked at 70 mph. While an outlier, one loon is said to have traveled 670 miles in a 24 hour period of time. Their flight distance from winter home to breeding grounds in Minnesota and Wisconsin were tracked and it was found they travel from 1,170 to 1,470 miles. 

Wings contribute to flight, and loons have a good wingspan from 41 to 52". They weigh from 6 to 14 pounds. They have a keel on the bottom of their body which helps with their swimming capability. Their legs are setback on their body which allows for great swimming, but causes an inability to waddle or walk. Loons mate and nest at or near shore, or in some cases small floating man-made islands. Loons can live about 20 to 30 years, and travel to the same lake.

Not a good place for a loon
Source: CBS news

The loon population in Wisconsin has dropped 22% in the last 25 years, and researches have yet to figure out what has caused the decline. They do need a good deal of fish and small aquatic insects. Chicks and juvenile loons are particularly vulnerable. Hence, the last thing the loons needed was to fall from the sky.

Proper place for a loon
Author photo

The loon population is already in decline and I cannot imagine the effect the loon fallout will have on the already delicate loon population. I can't blame the loons, the temperature was in the 70's and 80's and then rapidly changed such that the high one day later was over 40 degrees cooler than the day before. People have been asked to scour their property for fallen loons to see if any need to be rescued. I hope when camping up north we will still hear the cry of the loon. It would be a shame for them to have fallen from the landscape.