Minnesota chose the common loon as its state bird in 1961 because lawmakers and bird experts agreed that no other animal captured the state’s wild, lake-centered identity as clearly as this sleek, red ...

A pair of loons guard a nest on a small island on Cross Lake on May 30. Loons prefer natural shorelines with plenty of tall plants and grasses to build their nests. Natural shorelines provide critical ...

This story was originally published in July 2022. It’s nearing dusk and you’re paddling your kayak across a small pond. The sun is beginning to dip behind the trees and the nearby woods go nearly ...