Loons visit Utah

VERNAL — Birds called loons are visiting Utah right now.

A loon at Brough Reservoir in northeastern Utah.

Photo by Ron Stewart

Loons visit the state twice each year. In the spring they migrate from the south as they move north to breeding areas in Canada and the northern edge of the United States. During the fall, they return to the warmer waters in the south.

Most of the loons that visit Utah are common loons, but occasionally other loon species are also seen.

In Utah, you'll usually find loons on larger lakes and reservoirs where they stop, rest and feed before continuing on their journey.

Loons have a difficult time walking on land, but they're well adapted to swimming, diving and foraging for food on or under the water. One study found loons feeding roughly 200 feet below the surface of the water. Most of their dives are much shallower, however, usually 20 feet or less.

While noted for their fish-catching abilities, loons also forage on a wide variety of crayfish, shrimp, amphibians and other aquatic species. Observers in northeastern Utah say the loons have been feeding almost exclusively on crayfish this spring.

While their numbers in Utah usually peak in April, plenty of loons are here right now. And you can usually see them well into May. If you're lucky, you may even get to hear their lonesome call and see them perform their mating dances.

"We've had a great year so far for viewing common loons," says Ron Stewart, conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources in northeastern Utah. "We've seen them in fairly good numbers at all of our open reservoirs, including Pelican, Brough, Red Fleet, Steinaker, Starvation and Flaming Gorge. Other biologists have reported them in Yuba [Reservoir in central Utah] and other waters as well."

Stewart says one day he saw more than 30 loons at Steinaker Reservoir north of Vernal. "Some of them came closer than I've ever had before," he says. "Usually they are quite shy, but not this year. So far I have only watched one catch a fish. The rest have been eating crayfish."

For more information, call the DWR's Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-9453.