Migration & Wintering
Migration
The most common and intriguing question posed to the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation is:
“Where do loons go in the winter?”
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation and its collaborators have used a variety of techniques, including banding, geolocators, and satellite telemetry, to learn more about the migratory pathways of Adirondack Loons.
Although many questions remain unanswered, these new advances in technology help us get a better understanding of loon travel routes and patterns. Our satellite telemetry study showed that adult loons migrated from the Park to the Atlantic coast in less than a day. Band returns and sightings from Adirondack loons also indicates that the birds have traveled as far south as the coast of North Carolina and the Gulf coast of Florida.
Map shows known wintering areas of banded Adirondack loons, based on band resightings, band returns, and satellite telemetry data from 1999-2014. Map courtesy of Jeff Tash, Biodiversity Research Institute.
Wintering Research- Lake Jocassee
Dr. Jay Mager, a behavioral ecologist from Ohio Northern University, is collaborating with Brooks Wade of Jocassee Wild to conduct a study of the feeding behavior of loons wintering on Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. The ACLC assists Dr. Mager, Brooks Wade, and their volunteers with time-activity budgets on the wintering loons.
About Lake Jocassee
Lake Jocassee is a gorgeous reservoir that is fed by several rivers. The major basin of the lake is over 150 feet deep. There are numerous waterfalls to explore, which shelter Oconee Bells, a unique wildflower that blooms in early spring.
About 150 loons winter on this 7500+ acre reservoir, along with Horned Grebes, Bonaparte’s Gulls, Bald Eagles, and more! Lake Jocassee also serves as a stopover site for loons migrating in the spring back to their breeding grounds further north.
JOCASSEE LOON FEEDING STRATEGIES
Solitary Feeding: Some solitary birds focus on catching fish in shallow areas, similar to what we witness in the Adirondacks. Other solo birds take several big breaths before a long dive into the depths of Lake Jocassee to catch a single large fish, which provides enough food for the rest of the day. These dives are much deeper and longer than those done by breeding loons in the Adirondacks.
Feeding Frenzies: Others loons, however, feed in groups of 4-20 birds on “bait balls.” These groups make many shallow dives chasing schools of small fish, which scatter in all directions, sometimes even leaping into the air! This communal feeding is similar to group feeding strategies in marine mammals, such as dolphins or “bubble-netting” in humpback whales.
Gulls, kingfishers, and even eagles are attracted to the “feeding frenzy,” diving quickly in to join the swirling loons and snag some fish for themselves before the action stopped.
TRANSITIONING WINTER PLUMAGE
As loons transition from their winter plumage to their checkerboard breeding plumage, individuals can be identified by their specific coloration. This is not possible during the breeding season in the Adirondacks, where bands and size are the best way to distinguish the birds.
Gallery
