Common loon

Behaviour:
The loon will look underwater, moving its head from side to side to locate prey. It then aims and dives quickly. It will stay underwater for almost a minute and can dive as deep as 80 m.

Habitat:
They build their nests close to the water, with the best sites being completely surrounded by water, such as on an island, muskrat house, half-submerged log, or sedge mat—a clump of grass-like water plants.

Feeding:
Their diet is mostly fish, crayfish, frogs, snails, salamanders, and leeches.

Threats:
They may not be hunted and they are vulnerable to the effects of pollution, development, and disturbance. They also die of lead poisoning after having eaten fish containing lead.

Wintering:
They migrate to warmer areas around the Gulf of Mexico and on the east and west coasts of North America for the winter.

Migration:
Average speeds of 120 km per hour throughout migration.

Description:
It has a black-and-white checkered back, glossy black head, and characteristic white necklace
around the throat. It is one of the biggest ducks.

Breeding:
Courtship and mating are a quiet time, with the pair swimming and making short dives together. Ultimately the male leads the female to a suitable spot on land for mating.

Nest:
Tree needles, leaves, grass, moss, and other vegetation are found under loon eggs.

Eggs:
two eggs

Babies:
Chicks can swim right away. After their first day or two in the water, they do not come back to the nest.

Source : Hinterland, 1996
http://ffdp.ca/index_f.asp