Loon Talk

NorthSound - Loon Talk

released on cassette in 1992

Contains recordings of the loon's haunting and beautiful calls including wails, yodels, tremolos, and hoots. All of the loons' calls on the album were recorded in their natural environment somewhere in the Canadian wilderness.

From the liner notes:

THE TREMOLO
This is the loons' all-purpose call which can signal annoyance, worry, or greeting. Mated pairs use a tremolo duet when disturbance threatens their young. This duet is also used in early spring to reinforce pair bonding and advertise territorial rights.

Trivia: The tremolo is the only call loons can give while in flight.

THE WAIL
Often termed the "night call," the wail is considered the most primitive of loon sounds. It is also the first call attempted by loon chicks. Oliver Austin described the loon wail as "one of the loveliest sounds in nature," and it's the favorite among most loon listeners. The wail is frequently used in night chorusing and in answering the tremolo of loons flying overhead.

Trivia: This loon call is known to elicit the howls of wolves and coyotes.

THE YODEL
Sigurd Olson described the yodel as "the weirdest and wildest of calls ... beautiful and thrilling." Issued only by the male, the message of the yodel is territorial. When an intruding loon approaches another loon's territory, yodels are used as verbal attack. During confrontations, male loons may engage in "counter-singing" while the territorial female supports her mate with wails and tremolos.

Trivia: Even after the battle for turf is over, a resident male will often yodel for an hour or more.

THE HOOT
This one-note call sounds just like it reads if you go softly on the "t". A location call that lets the mate or chicks know the sender's whereabouts, the hoot is used mainly between family members. It may serve an "I'm OK, are you OK?" function. Trivia: While it is frequently used, the hoot is not often heard, because it is a quiet, intimate call.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Loon Talk side 1 {26:02}

Side 2

1. Loon Talk side 2 {28:40}

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