35. Tunes of the Loons
Charles Walcott
Charles Walcott, Neurobiology and Behavior, and his research team discovered that male loons change their vocalizations after winning a contest for female loons and new nesting territory. Scientists had believed that a bird’s songs remained the same for life. The researchers reported that female loons scatter over wide areas when ready to breed, but male loons claim a small lake or part of a larger lake near the place they were hatched. Rival males loons challenge residents and fight for the territory and the females. The victor changes his song, called a yodel. The researchers studied 527 yodels of 16 male loons on 21 lakes at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Seney, Michigan, and 3,107 yodels of 82 loons on 63 lakes near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Some biologists have advocated using sound as a way to identify specific birds, as opposed to netting and tagging birds, which may be traumatic. Since loons change their songs, however, this strategy will not be feasible. The research provides valuable insights into the loon’s social and territorial behavior, which will aid in conservation efforts.