Wildlife Quiz - Common Loon

The Common Loon (Gavia immer) frequently can be heard singing it’s hauntingly beautiful call on lakes and ponds throughout its widely distributed range which includes Alaska, North America, Mexico, Europe, Africa and even rarely in Japan.

The calls of the Loon widely vary in accordance with perceived threats, territorial disputes, distress, mating and to communicate location. The most common Loon vocalization is the tremolo or “laughing” call. This call is characterized by its short wavering quality. It is comprised of 8-10 high notes and is used primarily to communicate a loons presence to other loons on a body of water.

It is also the only call Loons use during flight. Adult Loons possess exquisite plumage that includes a black-and-white checkered back, iridescent black head, black bill, red eyes, a prominent white "necklace" marking around the neck, and a much smaller white “chinstrap” marking at the throat. The sexes look alike, though males are significantly larger and heavier than females. T

he Loon has an innate and natural ability to catch fish that would make any angler jealous. Able to dive underwater as deep as 200 ft the Loon has no problem chasing, catching and eating fish as well as a wide range of other prey animals including clams, crayfish, insects and even aquatic plants. They swallow most prey underwater, where it is caught, but sometimes must surface to consume larger items. Evolution provided the Loon with powerful legs and pelvic muscles for swimming but is ungainly on land due to the legs being positioned at the rear of its body.

In early May, both the male and female Loon work to construct a large nest out of grasses along the shore. A single brood is raised each year with 1-2 chicks. Within hours of hatching, the young leave the nest with the parents, swimming close by and sometimes riding on one parent’s back. Both parents feed the chicks live prey from hatching to fledging and as they grow, they become able to feed and fend for themselves after about two months. Biologists have estimated that a pair of loons raising two chicks feed on approximately 1,000 lbs of fish during the 6 months they spend in their breeding grounds.

If able to successfully avoid predators, like snapping turtles, seagulls, bald eagles and northern pike the Loon can live up to 20 years, with the maximum recorded age being 29 years 10 months.

Wildlife Quiz Questions: 
1. What is the native range of the Loon?
2. What do the various calls of the Loon signify?
3. What is the most common Loon vocalization?
4. How can you tell the difference between a male and female Loon?
5. How deep underwater can a Loon dive?
6. What do Loons eat?
7. How much do Loons eat?
8. How long does a Loon typically live?

Wildlife Quiz Answers: 
1. The native range of the Loon includes Alaska, North America, Mexico, Europe, Africa and even rarely in Japan.
2. The various calls of the Loon signify perceived threats, territorial disputes, distress, mating and communicate location.
3. The most common Loon vocalization is the tremolo or “laughing” call.
4. The Loon sexes look alike, though males are significantly larger and heavier than females.
5. Loons are able to dive underwater as deep as 200 ft.
6. Loons eat a wide range of other prey animals including clams, crayfish, insects and even aquatic plants.
7. Biologists have estimated that a pair of loons raising two chicks feed on approximately 1,000 lbs of fish during the 6 months they spend in their breeding grounds.
8. The loon can live up to 20 years, with the maximum recorded age being 29 years 10 months.

Bear Hunting With Hounds

The echoing chorus of the pack, fractures the early morning silence and the chase is on. My heart rate quickens as the howls of the excited hounds reaches crescendo, indicating they are hot on the trail of a bruin. Early game camera pictures had indicated that a bear well in excess of 200 pounds had been a regular visitor to this particular bait site and I hoped the hounds were on his track. 

As the sounds of the hounds grow distant, I wander over to the guide to examine his handheld GPS dog tracking unit. A true marvel, the GPS unit is capable of tracking the movements of each individual dog, as well as indicating when a dog is sitting (resting) or has treed a bear. Given the massive size of the territory we are hunting, I cannot fathom how difficult hounding must have been before these units and their predecessor’s radio collar telemetry were created. How a hounds man ever recovered his dogs after chasing a bear across this expansive country must have required a Herculean effort. Watching the hounds give chase to the bear on the small screen is addictive. The track of the hounds is overlaid on top of a detailed topographical map and shows the bear following streams and crawling through cedar bogs in an effort to evade the rapidly advancing hounds. 

Wildlife Quiz - Bluegills

The Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) exists as a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream or brim and is a member of the sunfish family of fishes. Native to North America, Bluegills inhabit almost every body of water in the United States. While extremely prolific and able to thrive in a wide diversity of aquatic ecosystems, Bluegills prefer to inhabit shallow waters that contain larger rocks, tree stumps, logs and other underwater structure where they can seek protection from predators such as bass, northern pike, herons, snapping turtles and otters.

Bluegills average in length from 6-12 inches and weigh from 1-4 pounds. The Bluegill is thus named, for the dark blue coloration of the sides of its head and chin. Bluegills also possess a distinctive large black spot on the edge of both its gill plates. The belly of a female bluegill is a fiery yellow, while the belly of a breeding male is typically a rusty red color. The largest Bluegill ever caught was 4 pounds, 12 ounces and 15 inches long in 1950 and still stands as the all time record.

 Breeding typically occurs in May-August in nests built by the male.  Males build nests by using their tails to create shallow depressions in shallow waters. Female crappies deposit eggs in these depressions. Males release milt to fertilize the eggs and eggs and sperm become mixed. After spawning, the male chases the female out of the area and guards the nest until the eggs hatch 5 days after initial fertilization. As fry grow into fingerlings and finally adults, they feed on a progressively larger and wider array of plankton, crustaceans, insects and small fish. Bluegills reach sexual maturity at one year, with those hatchlings fortunate enough to evade predators living for up to eight years in the wilds. 

Wildlife Quiz Questions:

1. What is the native range of the Bluegill?
2. By what other names are Bluegills called?
3. What predators feed on Bluegills?
4. How big is the average Bluegill?
5. How big was the largest Bluegill ever caught?
6. When does the Bluegill breeding season begin?
7. What do Bluegills eat?
8. How long do Bluegills live?

Wildlife Quiz Answers:

1. The native range of the Bluegill includes most of North America.
2. Bluegills are also called Brim, Bream and Sunfish.
3. Bass, northern pike, herons, snapping turtles and otters all feed on Bluegills.
4. The average Bluegill is between 6-12 inches and weighs between 1-4 pounds.
5. The largest Bluegill ever caught weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces and was 15 inches long.
6. The Bluegill breeding season starts in May and runs into August.
7. Bluegills feed on a large array of plankton, crustaceans, insects and small fish.
8. Bluegills can live to be about 8 years old in the wild.