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| Its distinctive black-and-white plumage gives the Common Loon
great visual appeal, but the Common Loon's haunting calls add
another dimension to its popularity. Common Loons produce four
major call types: wails, yodels, tremolos, and hoots. |
| The Wail |
Wails are howl-like calls that resemble the notes of a clarinet,
and can travel great distances across calm water. Wails serve
to keep loons in contact with one another, and are often the first
calls in Common Loon choruses. At night, a series of several wails
may be followed by a succession of yodels, tremolos, or tremolo
duets as loons from miles around begin vocalizing in chorus. Some
observers have likened the wail to dialing a “1” when placing
a long-distance phone call; once acoustic contact is achieved,
several loons get in on the “conversation.”
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| The Yodel |
Yodels are the most complex calls in the Common Loon's repertoire.
They are produced only by males, and are an important component
of a male loon's ability to defend his territory. Each male loon
can be identified by a unique vocal signature encoded in his yodel.
The crouching posture associated with the yodel, as depicted in
the photo, probably helps increase the distance over which the
sound travels, warning distant rivals to stay away.
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| The Tremelos |
Tremolos are sometimes referred to as the “laugh” of the loon,
and their trembling quality is probably the source of the expression
“crazy as a loon.” Tremolos are sometimes associated with situations
in which a loon may feel threatened or is defending its chicks
from a perceived threat. Other times, the male and female of a
pair may tremolo in duet, a cooperative display that may reinforce
the pair bond or announce the presence of the bonded pair to neighbors
or rivals.
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| The Hoot |
Hoots are intimate calls that occur between members of a pair
or a parent loon and its chicks. Occasionally, hoots precede certain
visual displays (e.g., splash-dives) or occur during social interactions
with territory intruders.
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| This article is an excerpt from the NALF website, however, the
article is no longer available online. |
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| Click here to link to site with Loon Calls. |
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