Loon Sounds

About Loon Sounds

The swimming form of a loon is comparable to that of a large duck or a baby goose. Loons are about the size of these other birds. The loon's toes are connected by webbing, much like ducks and geese, but not like coots (which are in the family Rallidae) or grebes (which are in the family Podicipedidae). It is possible to confuse loons with cormorants, which belong to the family Phalacrocoracidae. However, loons can be distinguished from cormorants by their distinctive call. Cormorants are not too distantly related to loons, and like loons, they are stout birds whose bellies, in contrast to those of ducks and geese, are submerged when they are swimming. Cormorants are also closely related to petrels. When in flight, loons have the appearance of plump geese with the wings of seagulls. However, their wings are relatively small in comparison to their large bodies. While swimming, the bird has a tendency to tilt its head slightly upward, although not as much as cormorants do. When in flight, the head droops more than in other aquatic birds with similar flight patterns.