Identification - It is about the size of a goose and sits low in the water. Sexes are alike in breeding plumage. The black head and pointed bill, white necklace, white checkered back, and snow white breast and belly are the best field marks.
Morsels - Folktales about loons abound in the cultures of many people. A favorite involves a miracle performed by a loon to restore the sight of a blind boy. The loon apparently carries the blind boy on its back to the bottom of the lake, again and again, until his eyes are clear. In thanks, the medicine man throws his magic necklace of white dentalium shells over the loon's head. As it falls over the neck of the bird it becomes what we see today as the loon's necklace.
