Montana common loon pair hatch three goslings

On June 10, 2021 on a private lake in the Crystal Lakes area near Eureka, Montana, a resident nesting loon pair successfully hatched three chicks. Three chicks! Loons only lay two eggs each clutch. But that wasn't the only surprise for photographer and area property owner Bob LeBlanc. These chicks were bright yellow. They were goslings!

On May 6, Bob reported that a loon pair began incubation on their artificial nesting platform. Loon observers know that geese, which return earlier in spring than loons, are also fond of this secure nesting habitat, so territorial battles often occur between loons trying to take back their platform from nesting geese. It is assumed that a Canada goose already laid eggs on this platform. No evidence of loon eggs exists, so the loons must have started incubating the goose eggs.

The first week of life as a gosling adoptee was similar to that of a loon chick. The goslings rode on the parents' backs, though it was a bit more crowded. They accepted small fish and crayfish from their parents, though not as gracefully as a loon chick would. When bald eagles, a natural predator of all waterfowl, flew overhead, the loons rushed the goslings to safety, which was often at the nesting platform.

In a couple weeks, the parents no longer let them catch a free ride. Then the goslings began to spend time on solid ground. However, the adoptive parents preferred to keep them on the platform, instead of the shoreline. The goslings still accepted aquatic food from their parents but they also grazed on grasses and vegetation. However, in surprising non-gooselike behavior, the goslings would dive, going about four to six feet laterally and were able to stay submerged for a few seconds.

Around one month in age, only two goslings remained. The cause of the third chick's mortality is unknown but bald eagle presence was high that week. Around two weeks old, the remaining two goslings were roughly the same size as their parents.

As the goslings grew, they spent more time feeding on vegetation and traversing the shoreline. Several flocks of geese came and went from the lake but the goslings didn't associate with them. At 11 weeks the goslings were seen learning how to fly. The loon parents left the lake around the third week in August and the goslings were last seen during the first week of September.

"It's wishful thinking that they flew off. I didn't witness it, but that is my thought," Bob said.

When asked if they had heard of this before, the Montana Loon Society sited two recent incidents, one in Alberta, Canada and one in Wisconsin. In Canada, a loon pair raised a gosling. In Wisconsin, a loon pair hatched a duckling.

However, both the gosling and the duckling vanished in mid-summer. Perhaps they joined up with others of their kind, were predated or perhaps with just one chick, the loon parents exerted more control over the chick and didn't let it go to land to feed, rest and preen like the Crystal Lakes pair, so they grew weak and died.

As for these Crystal Lake goslings, all hope they migrated. Who knows, maybe next year we'll see a pair of geese with a particular interest in crayfish or a loon pair with a little less malice towards geese.

Blackfoot/Clearwater (Ovando/Seeley) Loon Report

Torrey Ritter, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Biologist

In 2021, the Blackfoot and Clearwater drainages together successfully produced 11 chicks, making it the area's most productive breeding season in recent years. In the Blackfoot, Upsata successfully produced two chicks and Shoup produced one. One other confirmed loon pair was seen on Doney Reservoir but no nest or chicks were seen.

Eight pairs attempted nesting in the Clearwater. Four lakes (Summit, Rainy, Placid and Marshall) successfully hatched eight chicks and all survived. Hidden hatched two chicks but they did not survive. Alva and Clearwater had nest attempts but failed. No second nest attempts were observed. Seeley Lake nested but no chicks were ever observed. Marshall was our surprise. It had the first known established pair to ever nest there and successfully hatched two chicks. Many other lakes are monitored for loon activity in both areas but they were either absent of loon activity or did not have loon pairs. Still, the combined area had 11 chicks that survived until the July Loon day. 

Swan Geographic Area

Mark Ruby, US Forest Service Wildlife Biologist

Nine lakes were monitored in this area in 2021 for nesting loon pairs. Three pairs on Van, Peck and Pierce unsuccessfully nested. One pair on Shay Lake did not have any observable nest attempts. Our successful nest attempts included Holland with one chick, Loon Lake (Ferndale) with two chicks, and Loon Lake (Kraft Creek) with two chicks. So this year's total chicks included five chicks that survived until July Loon Day.