A Common Loon found recently on a Buxton roadside is recovering at Avian Haven bird sanctuary. COURTESY PHOTO/Facebook
BUXTON — A Common Loon found on the side of the road in Buxton is reportedly doing well.
The female bird was found struggling on the side of Naragansett Trail on Sept. 25, according to Buxton Police. A passerby saw the loon and called the Maine Warden Service, who in turn called local Animal Control Officer Adele Jones. The loon was captured and taken to Avian Haven, a wild bird sanctuary in Freedom, where the bird remained on Monday.
The Common Loon is a water bird that typically chooses large, clear lakes with rocky shoreline for nesting, according to a report from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Common Loons have solid bones and large muscles, making them agile swimmers and talented divers, but they are not very efficient at flying or walking on land, according to UMaine Cooperative Extension.
Common Loons primarily eat small fish which they catch and swallow while on underwater dives, and some adults consume two pounds of fish per day, according to UMaine Cooperative Extension. Loons also consume crayfish, insects, crabs and snails.
Diane Winn, executive director of Avian Haven and primary loon caregiver at the facility, said the facility had admitted 24 loons this calendar year.
It was raining the day the loon was found in Buxton, and migrating loons sometimes mistake wet pavement for a body of water, she said.
A radiograph taken of the loon showed no fishing lines or hooks in the bird or fractures, and blood work results were normal.
The bird had lost some of its natural waterproofing, which can happen if a bird’s feathers are damaged or dirty, said Winn.
On Monday, Winn said, although the loon appeared to be in good health and was eating well, it still had not fully regained its natural waterproofing and could not yet be returned to the wild. All cases are different, she said, and it can take a few days to two to three weeks for Common Loons to regain their waterproofing.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 780-9015 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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