What does the Common Loon call sound like?

Gavia immer

Call Common

Play the real Common Loon call, the "oo-AH-oh", and learn what to listen for.

“oo-AH-oh”

What the Common Loon call sounds like

A long, haunting note that rises, hangs in the air, and falls again. Loons trade wails across a lake to keep track of one another, especially when distance or darkness hides them from view.

“oo-AH-oh”

Birders often file this one under Mournful wail.

Call vs. song: telling the two apart

The same bird makes both. They sound nothing alike.

The call (this page)

A long, haunting note that rises, hangs in the air, and falls again. Loons trade wails across a lake to keep track of one another, especially when distance or darkness hides them from view.

“oo-AH-oh”

The song

A wavering, laugh-like tremolo given when a loon is alarmed or excited, and sometimes in flight. It is different from the species’ long, mournful wail.

“ha-ha-ha-ha-ha”

Where you'll hear it

Clear, freshwater lakes with rocky shorelines in northern forests for breeding; coastal ocean waters, large lakes, and reservoirs during winter.

Common Loon call FAQ

What does a Common Loon call sound like?

A long, haunting note that rises, hangs in the air, and falls again. Loons trade wails across a lake to keep track of one another, especially when distance or darkness hides them from view. Birders write it as "oo-AH-oh".

How do I tell a Common Loon from a Pacific Loon by ear?

Pacific Loon: Smaller size with slimmer bill; Breeding adults have gray head and hindneck rather than greenish-black.

When is the best time to hear the Common Loon call?

Most active during daylight hours, with distinctive calling often heard at night during breeding season.

More Common Loon sounds

Common Loon: the full species pageEvery sound we have, field marks, habitat and similar species.How to Identify Bird Sounds (By Ear & With Apps)Learning to identify bird sounds is how you stop letting those moments slip by. It is also one of the fastest ways to feel like birds are no longer random background noise but neighbors you actually recognize.How to Learn Bird Calls Fast: A 7-Day Spring PlanYou have seven days. You want seven birds. This is the plan: one new song per day, a mnemonic per bird, ten minutes you steal from your coffee break. Sunday-to-Sunday, you walk outside and a name lands in your head before you have time to think about it.