Local movements of color-marked common loons

A new study investigates the local movements of common loons to assess the frequency, ecological causes and timing of multiple-lake usage. The investigation of color-marked birds in Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan shows five different classes of multi-lake usage: territorial defensive movement, long-distance movement by young birds, post-reproductive wandering, pre-breeding territory shifts and dispersal of displaced breeders. It is suggested that a management strategy that preserves only the lakes on which loons nest may not ensure successful nesting.