The common loon (Gavia immer) is a large diving bird found across North America. Known for its distinctive black-and-white plumage and eerie wailing calls, the common loon spends much of its life in water, where it dives to catch fish. However, loons do come onto land for activities like nesting and raising their young. This raises the question – can a common loon take off from land, or does it require a water runway to get airborne?
Quick Answer
Yes, a common loon can take off from land. However, taking flight from a standing start on land takes great effort for these large diving birds. Given a choice, common loons prefer to take off from water, which allows them to use their feet for thrust on the water’s surface. Taking off from land requires the loon to achieve enough velocity and lift using only its wings.
How Common Loons Take Off
Common loons have several adaptations that enable them to take flight from the water. Their legs are positioned far back on their bodies, near the tail, which provides more power when “running” across the surface of a lake. On water, a loon can use its feet as well as its wings to build up speed and lift necessary for taking off. The loon’s heavy, streamlined body also adds mass that supports lift.
While capable of taking off from land, it is more challenging for a loon due to these adaptations. Without water to run across, the loon must achieve takeoff purely through wing flapping. They often prefer facing into the wind, which gives their wings extra lift. Loons will also hop or run for a few steps while vigorously flapping their wings to get airborne from land.
Phases of Takeoff From Land
A common loon’s takeoff from land can be broken down into four phases:
- Crouch – The loon lowers its body close to the ground and leans forward, extending its neck. This may help it gain momentum.
- Wing Flapping – With wings spread wide, the loon begins vigorously flapping its wings up and down. The tips of the wings nearly touch the ground on each downstroke.
- Hopping/Running – Still flapping, the loon may start hopping or shuffling its feet to build more momentum.
- Lift Off – When enough lift and thrust have been generated, the loon lifts up into the air.
A running takeoff allows the loon to build more speed before lifting off. However, loons can manage vertical takeoffs from a standing start as well. In either case, several wing flaps are required before the loon becomes airborne.
Why Do Loons Prefer Taking Off From Water?
There are a few key reasons why common loons strongly favor starting their takeoffs while swimming on the water rather than from land:
- Able to use feet/legs for thrust – A loon’s feet sit far back on its body near its tail. This allows for powerful foot paddling in the water, adding critical forward thrust and speed to supplement the lift from the wings.
- Longer distance to build speed – The surface of the water provides a long “runway” for the loon to paddle and flap its wings to achieve takeoff air velocity.
- Buoyancy and reduced gravity – The loon’s body is buoyed by the water, reducing the effect of gravity and effort needed to generate lift.
- Heavy body less suited for vertical takeoff – The loon’s dense, streamlined body that aids diving makes flying from a standing start more challenging.
Due to these factors, loons avoid landing on dry ground when possible and favor bodies of water that allow room for taking off again. However, their ability to get airborne from land demonstrates the power of their wings during takeoff.
Conditions Where Loons Take Off From Land
While common loons have adaptations favoring water takeoff, they do sometimes need to get airborne from dry land. Some situations where loons may need to take off from land include:
- When being flushed from the nest – If predators or intruders come near the nesting site, the parent loons may hurriedly take off from the ground to defend their territory or distract the threat away from eggs or chicks.
- When walking to a different body of water – Loons sometimes walk between bodies of water across isthmuses or peninsulas during migration or when moving between nesting and feeding areas.
- During landing or crash landings – It is possible for loons to misjudge a landing and inadvertently end up on shore, requiring them to get airborne again quickly.
- From beaches or riverbanks – Loons resting or roosting on beaches/banks may need to take flight.
- Chicks first learning to fly – Juvenile loons may make their first wobbly flight attempts from the ground around water before mastering water takeoff.
In all cases, the loon aims to get enough elevation and speed to reach an open waterway where it can land again safely. Though inconvenient, loons manage to become airborne from land when necessary despite lacking their ideal water runway.
How Long is the Takeoff Runway?
Common loons require a different takeoff distance depending on whether they are taking flight from water or land:
- From water – 30 to 50 meters (100 to 165 feet) to become airborne
- From land – Around 1 meter (3 feet) of hopping or running while flapping wings vigorously
This illustrates how much more distance loons need to achieve flight velocity when relying solely on their wings rather than supplementing with foot paddling on water. Still, their powerful wings allow loons to become airborne from land in just a meter or so of running while flapping vigorously.
What Conditions Help Loons Take Off From Land?
Some conditions that can help common loons more easily achieve takeoff from land include:
- Facing into the wind – A headwind provides additional lift under the wings.
- Downhill slope – A downhill grade helps gravity accelerate the loon during running takeoff.
- Wide open surroundings – More clearance around the loon prevents obstacles from hindering flapping and running.
- Soft ground surface – Loose sand or dirt allows the feet to push off more strongly.
- Elevated perch – Taking off from a rock, log, or mound creates initial height and airflow under the wings.
Additionally, an adult loon may have an easier time taking flight from land compared to juveniles due to its stronger muscles and flying experience. Still, young loons practice land takeoffs as they develop flight skills.
Do Loon Chicks Take Off From Land?
Loon chicks are covered in soft down feathers when they hatch, so they cannot fly. However, after about 10-12 weeks, juvenile loons develop flight feathers and begin attempting to fly. Their initial flights are usually clumsy, fluttering attempts from the water surface. But loon chicks will also make some of their first flights from the shoreline or land surrounding their lake or pond.
Fledgling loons on land flap their wings while running downhill or into the wind to achieve initial lift. Their early land takeoffs are typically very short flights of just a few yards. But these practice flights help the juveniles strengthen muscles and coordination in order to master taking off from land. The skills gained prepare the young loons for migration and surviving once they disperse from their parents.
Conclusion
While common loons are much better adapted for taking off from water, they are capable of becoming airborne from land when necessary. Their strong wings provide enough lift and thrust to get airborne with just a short hop or run on the ground while vigorously flapping. Though land takeoffs are more challenging for loons, their powerful wings allow them to get airborne from land. This ability ensures loons can get flight quickly even when away from an open water runway. So next time you see a loon on land, look closely and you may glimpse its impressive vertical takeoff ability.