What is the reason for loon afting in the fall before their southern migration?
(rafting being when they gather in huge numbers) A. We are not real sure, but we think that rafting helps loons to feed more efficiently. If they are feeding in groups then they are not spending their time chasing off other loons who are intruding on their feeding area. Sharing a space makes more sense because then everyone can spend their time eating. It may also help to prevent loons being attacked by predators because there are more eyes looking out for attacks. Adult loons don’t have very many predators, though, so this is probably not the reason. Q. Do all loons ‘raft’ with others for migration? A. We know that Yellow-billed Loons do form rafting groups during migration. There is not a lot of information on similar behavior for the other three species of loons (Arctic, Pacific, and Red-throated), but it is likely that they form rafts as well. Q. Is there any importance to the lakes that loons raft up on? Will anylake do or are they specific in their needs? A. Lakes where loons for
