Clumsy on land, the common loon, belongs to a family of highly specialized divers. By inflating or deflating their lungs and air sacs, loons can make themselves more or less buoyant in the water. They can stay underwater for several minutes on a dive, descending as much as 80 m (265 ft). Usually, however, their webbed feet propel them quickly through shallower waters in pursuit of the fish, crustaceans, and amphibians they commonly prey upon. Chicks are able to dive less than 24 hours after hatching.
Wayne Lankinen/Bruce Coleman Inc.Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. All rights reserved.
"Great Northern Diver (Common Loon)," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
