The common loon is an iconic wildlife species of the Northwoods lake country, defined here as upper Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New England, and much of Canada. The loons call can carry for over a mile and is commonly heard on summer evenings in the Northwoods. The bird is well adapted to catching fish. They winter along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, often close to shore. At that time they look substantially different has they undergo molt.

In the latter part of the 20th Century the loon was a species of great concerned as populations had crashed. The reason is still the source of some debate, but poisoning from mercury and lead is often to blame. Fortunately, many populations have recovered in recent years.