What is a loon song?
Common Loons are famous for their eerie, beautiful calls. Among these are the tremolo, a wavering call given when a loon is alarmed or to announce its presence at a lake. The yodel is the male loon’s territorial claim. Each male has his own signature yodel.
What do different loon sounds mean?
The hoot symbolizes a call of curiosity and/or happiness. Hoots are soft, short calls given to keep in contact with each other: parents might hoot to a chick, or one mate might hoot to another.
What are the different loon calls?
Many of us know loons by their haunting vocalizations. There are three long distance calls: the wail, the tremolo, and the yodel.
Why are Loons called Loons?
The North American name “loon” likely comes from either the Old English word lumme, meaning lummox or awkward person, or the Scandinavian word lum meaning lame or clumsy. Either way, the name refers to the loon’s poor ability to walk on land.
Do only male loons yodel?
Only male loons yodel. The yodel is typically given whenever a male loon feels threatened, including during aggressive territorial interactions with other loons, when eagles or other predators are nearby, or when a loon’s chicks or nest are closely approached by humans.
What time of year do loons mate?
In New Hampshire, loons typically initiate their nests between late May and late June. In some cases, nests are initiated as early as early May or as late as mid-July. Because loons cannot easily walk on land, their nests are built at the water’s edge.
Do loons sing at night?
The wail is frequently heard during night chorusing. The hoot is a soft, short call that is typically used for short range communication between members of a loon family unit (paired adults and their chicks). Loons may also hoot to communicate with rival loons during low-level territorial interactions.
Do loons vocalize while flying?
It is also the “flight call,” heard when a loon is flying overhead, particularly if it is going over a lake with other loons on the water. Tremolos are also used in the “night chorus,” a virtual concert made by several loons during the night. Members of a pair will “duet” using tremolo calls mixed with wails.
Why do loons make noise at night?
Will a loon eat a baby duck?
I wondered if it had caught one of the ducklings, so I googled “do loons eat baby ducks”. Click here to read about “loon alligators”. Apparently, loons will attack adult ducks and even Canada Geese, and regularly use underwater stealth in their attack.