Holy Moly:
Loons are falling out of the sky!...so to speak:
From the Raptor Education Group:
ALERT!!! LOON FALLOUT CURRENTLY in NORTHERN WISCONSIN!
We are getting calls on many loons on land and small ponds the past 2 days. A few loons can be a normal situation of a loon accidentally landing as a mistake however, due to the many calls received over the past 24 hrs., it appears we have a LOON FALLOUT occuring. That occurs when atmospheric conditions are such that the migrating loons develop ice on their body as they fly at high altitude and crash land when they are no longer able to fly due to the weight of the ice on their body or the interference with their flight ability. The current ice/rain and unstable air currents is a perfect set-up for this phenomena to occur.
At this time loon have been seen on land in Wausau, Gleason, Stratford, Neva, Rice Lake, Antigo, Drummond....other areas may be involved as well.
Loons cannot walk! They will need your help! If you find a loon on land or on a road or cow pasture, realize that it cannot walk. Their legs are placed to the back of the bird and are made for swimming and diving not walking.
Loons can be difficult to handle. Call REGI or Loon Rescue (phone numbers below) or your local wildlife center for advice. Do NOT TAKE THEM TO SMALL PONDS FOR RELEASE!! They cannot fly from small ponds as they need a quarter mile or more of open water to run across and get airborne.
They have sharp beaks and use the beak for defense. You can cover them with a blanket to contain them. You can transport them in a rubbermaid container with air holes in the top. Please put towels on the bottom of the container or box to cushion their V shaped keel and prevent injury.
Call REGI at 715-623-4015 or Loon Rescue at 715-966-5415
Stay safe everyone and let us know if you need assistance. Loon are the symbol of the Northwoods but need our help right now.
This is Wisconsin.
