Minnesota chose the common loon as its state bird in 1961 because lawmakers and bird experts agreed that no other animal captured the state’s wild, lake-centered identity as clearly as this sleek, red ...

MINNESOTA, USA — "Imagine now, a clear summer evening in the north woods. Above you, the bands of the Milky Way framed by the dark spindly boughs of spruce and fir. And cutting though the stillness ...

This column has a soundtrack, and you might know the one. Imagine yourself in the North Woods on a summer night, next to a clear, quiet lake. Now listen for the haunting calls of a common loon ...

It’s our Spring Member Drive and we’re trying to raise $16,000 by March 19. Will you make a gift to help us reach our goal? A migratory diver of the loon family, the common loon (Gavia immer) has been ...

Not long ago, I was watching "Game of Thrones," the megahit HBO show set in the fictional world of Westeros, when I heard a sound I knew well: the long, high call of the common loon. I'd heard it a ...

A common loon flaps its wings, which are short in comparison to its body size. Loons' small wings require them to get a running start to fly, according to Montana Loon Society President Lynn Kelly.

Achieving takeoff requires a clear aquatic runway measuring nearly 1 football field in length. The 12-pound weight and specific foot placement make terrestrial movement almost impossible.