Unlike most birds the common loon does not have hollow bones. The loon has solid bones which give it more weight and reduce its buoyancy, making it easier to dive under the water. This additional weight also causes the loon to lay deeper in the water then many ducks or geese.
Loons are built for spending most of their life in the water. Their legs are located in the back of their body instead of underneath it. This helps them to dive under the water to depths as low as 200 feet below the surface. Their red eye helps them to see while under the water and locate prey such as fish, frogs and aquatic invertebrates. Projections on the roof of the mouth and the tongue help them to keep a hold of their slippery prey.
Loons are one of the older species of birds. Their roots can be traced back over 100 million years. Which means that these birds have been around a lot longer then people have, since the roots of mankind only go back arguably about 2 million years.
7 comments:
I love learning something new every day. Your pictures are so clear, the loon doesn't even look real. One of the most entertaining sights is to watch a loon trying to manipulate a fish that's just too big! They are very determined.
Love your bird photos
Thanks for the information! They are quite strange-looking birds, but still very beautiful.
Interesting looking bird.
Sydney - City and Suburbs
Interesting post. Thank you.
Pretty shot!...Happy watery Wednesday.
Awe! now, you're killin' me! These are fabulous. I only get shots of them in the winter, so they aren't as flashy as these. And, it's hard to impress with loon shots unless they are doing something besides floating around. You managed it, though!
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