Loons add so much joy to our lake environment. They are a special part of our experience – we all love to watch and listen to them, and some may wish to “help” or see them more closely by feeding them.
It’s important to know that feeding them may cause harm to these wonderful birds in at least three important ways:
- Loss of foraging skills: Fed loons fail to learn how to hunt and forage efficiently on their own.
- Dangerous associations: Loons that expect food from people often swim close to boats and docks, which causes them to chase fishing hooks or live bait and get injured.
- Migration failure: Dependent birds struggle to build the flight muscles needed for their long southward migration.
We ask that you don’t participate in feeding Loons. You can learn more about the dangers of this activity from this post on The Loon Project website.