Loons | Gaviiformes

Duikers | Colimbos

Loons are streamlined waterbirds with legs set so far back on the body that they are powerful swimmers and divers but can barely move on land, shuffling on their belly instead of walking. The skeleton is heavier and less air-filled than in most birds, which helps them stay submerged, and the straight, dagger-like bill is built for seizing fish. Taking off requires a long running start across open water. The clutch usually numbers two eggs in a nest at the water's edge, and the downy chick can swim as soon as it is dry and is often carried on a parent's back.

Families in this order

Loons | Gaviidae5 speciesThe red eye and a clear, goggle-like third eyelid give loons exceptionally sharp underwater vision, letting them make out a fish several metres down and seize it with a quick lunge. A breeding pair returns to the same lake year after year and often keeps the same mate for life, though an intruding rival is fought off fiercely to defend the territory. The far-carrying nighttime wails and yodels mark out that territory and are often delivered as a tightly synchronised duet between partners, using at least four distinct call types that each carry a different message. The chicks can swim within hours of hatching but are still fed half-digested fish for the first weeks and stay close to their parents to avoid large predatory fish and snapping turtles.