Canada’s national bird, the Common Loon, is an enchanting bird, a symbol of the country’s rugged wilderness. Common Loons are stunning in their breeding plumage and a joy to watch if you can get close enough!
The ghostly sound of the Common Loon is frequently heard in movies, though sometimes a bit out of place. Their haunting sound is inspiration for music, Loon-calling contests and festivals, and both Minnesota and Ontario claim the Common Loon as theirs.
The Royal Canadian Mint introduced a beautiful new one-dollar coin in 1987 with the Common Loon on it, the “loonie”. Canada made a good choice with the Common Loon as their national bird.
Photo by CBCNews.ca
They are beautiful in winter plumage as well. Photo by Mike Baird
Read A Loon Story for a heartwarming rescue of this great species.
To promote bird conservation through conservation marketing. By showing people the joys of birding, we hope to bring people and nature together, instead of at odds.
All About Birds
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Lana 01.17.08 at 12:49 pm
You know, I don’t think I ever saw a loon while I was in Canada. Beautiful pix here & the loon story was wonderful. Thank you for restoring some more of my faith in humanity today!
Larry 01.19.08 at 9:31 pm
One of the things that I always look forward to when I head north for my spring fishing vacation is being able to hear the call of the loons.-It’s amazing how much their plumage changes.-
The Birdfreak Team 01.21.08 at 10:06 pm
Lana - thank you; we’ve only been to Canada twice but didn’t find any loons either (although, we weren’t really looking
Larry - the call of the loon is truly one of those events you have to experience to understand fully!!
Kathiesbirds 02.01.08 at 8:18 am
Birdfreak, what a great webpage! I just found it through the Brownstone Birding Blog! I love loons! I think it’s great that you are trying to involve kids in birding. We need the next generation to fall in love with them so they will care about their habitats and their future. Bravo! I will add your link to my Blog.