Here’s What 17 Loons Sound Like on a Maine Lake

I think everyone knows what one loon sounds like... but 17?

According to the Bangor Daily News, Joanna Long was on Drew's Lake up in Aroostook County on Friday and caught this on video.

I absolutely love loons. According to Loon.org, they have 4 distinctive calls:

The tremolo is also known as the "crazy laugh." It is used to signal alarm, and sometimes at night defend territory. That's the one you hear in the video from Joanne.

The wail is the one that sounds so haunting and sad. It really does sound like a wolf's howl.  This is social chatting and can be used to call out a mate or answer a tremolo.

The yodel is only from males.  It's the long rising call that repeats and can last up to six seconds. It's another territory defense and if another male enters their territory. And just like people's voices, the yodel is different for every loon.

The hoot is a one-note call. It's short and is mostly used to find family members and make sure they are okay.

I've seen 3-5 at once, but never 17! Obviously, it was a family reunion....ya know, before the kids go back to school.