Loons are aquatic birds found throughout North America. They are known for their striking black and white plumage and their eerie, wavering calls. One of the most remarkable things about loons is their ability to dive underwater to catch fish, their main prey. This raises an interesting question – do loons dive with their chicks?
Do loon parents take chicks underwater when diving?
The short answer is no, adult loons do not take their chicks underwater with them when they dive. Here’s why:
- Newly hatched loon chicks cannot dive. They float on the water’s surface and are cared for by their parents.
- Chicks do not develop the ability to dive until they are at least 4-6 weeks old. Even then, their dives are very short.
- Baby loons have very soft, downy feathers that are not waterproof. Diving would cause them to get waterlogged and drown.
- Young loons do not yet have the leg muscles and foot strength needed to propel themselves underwater.
- Chicks stay at the surface when parents dive to hunt, where they are vulnerable to predators.
So in summary, adult loons leave their chicks at the water’s surface when they dive. The chicks cannot accompany them safely underwater due to their young age, lack of diving ability, and non-waterproof plumage.
When can loon chicks start diving?
Loon chicks typically start diving when they are 4-6 weeks old. At this age, their juvenile plumage starts growing in, allowing them to repel water. Their legs also grow stronger and they gain coordination needed for swimming and diving. A chick’s first dives are very short, just a few seconds, in shallow water close to the surface. As they grow and practice diving, the chicks are eventually able to dive deeper and stay submerged longer looking for food.
How long can loon chicks stay underwater when diving?
| Chick age | Dive duration |
|---|---|
| 4-6 weeks | A few seconds |
| 2-3 months | Up to 20 seconds |
| 4-5 months | 30 seconds to 1 minute |
| Fully grown | Several minutes |
As the table shows, loon chicks gradually are able to stay underwater longer as they grow. Young chicks can only manage a few seconds, while fully mature loons can remain submerged for several minutes while hunting.
What do loon chicks eat when parents are diving?
Adult loons bring back food for their chicks after long dives underwater. Chicks are fed small fish and invertebrates like crayfish, snails, and aquatic insects. Parents hold the food in their throats and regurgitate it for the chicks once back at the surface. Chicks will beg and peck at the parent’s bill to stimulate regurgitation. This allows the chick to obtain food even though they cannot dive and hunt successfully yet.
How do loon parents care for chicks at the surface?
Adult loons take good care of their helpless chicks while they are confined to the water surface:
- They let chicks ride on their backs, providing rest and warmth
- They brood chicks under their wings to protect them from cold water
- They shield chicks from sun, wind, rain, and waves under a wing
- They defend the chicks fiercely from predators with distracting injury feigning displays
This attentive parental care gives loon chicks the nurturing they need until they grow into agile diving juveniles after a few months.
What are the risks to loon chicks at the water surface?
Despite devoted parental care, loon chicks face many threats in their early weeks when they cannot dive underwater with their parents:
- Predators – Young loons are vulnerable to predators like eagles, foxes, otters, and snapping turtles.
- Severe weather – High winds, waves, and storms can potentially drown chicks.
- Pollution – Oil spills, boat wakes, and polluted runoff all put chicks at risk.
- Habitat loss – Human activity degrades and destroys the pristine lakes loons require.
- Fishing tackle – Loon chicks can get tangled in fishing lines, lures, and lead weights.
Sadly, 75% of loon chicks die before they learn to fly at around 12 weeks of age, with many losses occurring in the first few weeks after hatching.
Conclusion
In summary, adult loons do not dive with their young chicks. Newly hatched chicks are unable to accompany parents underwater due to their limited diving abilities, soft plumage, and need for parental care. Chicks remain vulnerable at the water’s surface for weeks until they can dive and escape from predators themselves. With devoted parenting and protection of breeding habitat, some chicks survive to adulthood and repeat the diving and breeding cycle of the loon life cycle.
