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 ...

A common loon stretches its wings on Little Long Pond on Mount Desert Island. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN This story was originally published in July 2022. Hearing the haunting call of a common ...

OTIS — Stay quiet. No sudden moves. It shouldn't even know you're here. Thomas Gregg kayaks through the reservoir toward a marshy island. No other humans in sight. “You’ve got to woo the loon,” he ...

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 story was originally published in July 2022. Hearing the haunting call of a common loon echoing across the water can be exhilarating. And it can happen frequently, as we boast the largest ...