What is the State Bird of Minnesota? (And Why?)

Minnesota is the 12th largest state in the United States by area and the 22nd most populous. Most of Minnesota is covered in rolling hills, however, the northern part of the state is the most rugged, with many deep lakes and rocky ridges. So, what is Minnesota’s state bird?

Minnesota chose the common loon (Gavia immer) as its state bird in 1961. The black and white loon is a majestic specimen bird with a wingspan of up to 5 feet. The Common Loon is also known as the Great Northern Diver.

Minnesota’s state bird, the common loon

Why is the common loon the state bird of Minnesota?

These powerful, agile divers likely impressed Minnesotans with their fishing prowess. They quickly caught small fish from the lake water. Known for their eerie calls that echo across the state’s lakes, you can trick the less savvy into thinking the lake is haunted. It’s only the state bird of Minnesota, though. Only Alaska has more of these birds.

When did the common loon become the state bird of Minnesota?

The Minnesota Legislature adopted the common loon as the state bird on March 13, 1961. Minnesota does not share its state bird with any other state.

A common loon rises from the water

What does Minnesota’s state bird look like?

These loons range in weight from 8 to 12 pounds and are often described as larger than a mallard but smaller than a goose. The bird’s colors are always black and white. Its neck is thick and its mouth is long and black. This apparent misidentification also has a distinctive gait, as the bird’s legs sit far behind its body.

Both sexes grow to about 2.3 to 3 feet long. They are 3.5 to 18 pounds heavier than most other birds. Their wingspan is about five feet.

How are these birds behaving?

The robust common loon usually lives on the coast, but also prefers to live on the banks of inland lakes and reservoirs. They can fly, swim and dive. The loon’s athletic prowess is unrivaled in the animal kingdom. If it rode a bicycle, the bird would win a triathlon.

These waterfowl come ashore only to mate and hatch their eggs. The position of their legs allows them to swim as efficiently as ducks and geese.

These territorial birds settle in one area for the rest of their lives. A loon can live 20 to 30 years. They return to the lake where they originally bred every year because it feels like home to them.

common loon in its nest

Do common loons form communities?

Common loons form a nuclear family. Male and female loons mate and raise a family. They focus on unity. Loons go through a complicated courtship process as they choose a life partner. They choose their mates using a ritualized process that includes a process called grooming. The male grooms the female to attract her. This pose exposes the white patch on his throat to potential mates.

The birds also express their desire to mate by making courtship calls that sound a bit like a cat’s “meow.” During courtship, the dating couple will dive together, dip their beaks in the water and lift their heads. Their diving courtship ritual involves two dives – a speed dive and a splash dive. When she is satisfied with their ritual, the female swims to the shore and lies on the ground showing her white belly. This shows the male that he is welcome and they mate. After breeding, they return to the water for swimming. This swimming is both functional and ritual. Unlike other birds that mate in nests, the common loon courts, mates, and then chooses a home on the same lake, but some distance from where they originally mated. Once they have chosen a nesting site, they swim ashore.

A common dragon with a chick on its back

Males and females build their homes together. They may nest in shallow water or next to bodies of water. Both sexes gather materials and bring them to the nest. They pull plants from the shallows of waterways and carry them to their nesting grounds. Once they have built their home together, the female lays her eggs. This process consumes most of her energy, and sometimes, the loon couple only lays a single egg. The couple hatch their eggs together. They take turns sitting on top of the egg so it stays steady at 95F. Hatching takes a month.

At birth, chicks are helpless. Although the couple returned to the water immediately, they were riding with the baby on the back of one of the parents. Chicks cannot swim until they are about a week old. Until then, they can’t fish either, so their parents feed them too.

If you ever hear yodeling sounds on or near the water, it could indicate that a predator is approaching the loon’s nest or its young. Next, you might hear the flapping of large wings as the loon puffs out its chest while flapping its massive wingspan to scare off predators.

Babies grow rapidly, reaching near adult size by six weeks of age. However, they don’t develop flight feathers until around 11 weeks. They swim with their parents until they can both swim and fly.

common dragon eating fish

What Do Common Loons Eat?

The common loon feeds on fish. Watching them dive for prey is enjoyable and fun in natural areas of Minnesota. Erratic swimmers are favorites of loons because they are easy catches, so they eat a lot of yellow perch, bluegill and pumpkin seeds. Other favorites of this piscivorous bird include catfish, suckers, minnows, and smelts.