Loon Preservation Committee: Loon Facts of the Month -- May

Body Adaptations

Loons have evolved to be highly specialized for life in the water. They have a number of adaptations that minimize resistance and reduce drag, making them fast and agile when swimming and diving and enabling them to be excellent fishers. Anyone who has seen a loon in the water knows how impressive their swimming ability is—it is not uncommon for a loon to dive and resurface hundreds of feet away from where it was last seen in a short amount of time. What are some of the adaptations that make them so well suited for swimming and diving, and what tradeoffs do these adaptations necessitate?

Watch this video to see an adult female Common Loon diving and chasing fish in New Hampshire.

—shared courtesy of Loon Preservation Committee  loon.org