Maybe the reason is because the common loon is the Minnesota State Bird, or perhaps it is their striking red eyes and haunting call
Whatever the reason I was pretty excited when I found this young loon at Crex Meadows working on trying to take its first flight.
Loon chicks are able to swim almost immediately after they hatch, although they spend much of the first week on their parents back, however it takes a couple of months before they are ready to fly.Since loons eat primarily fish and aquatic invertebrates they are built for diving under the water. Their legs are set back on their body to assist in swimming underwater but this makes them awkward when they come on shore during mating and nesting season. They also do not have hollow bones like most birds. This makes them heavier which helps them underwater but it also makes it more difficult for them to get up into the air. They need a long runway and often appear to be running across the water as they take off.