\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.kootenay-lake.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/loon200923as.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
People are at pains to interpret the sounds and gestures of one another. They want to do the same for animals and feel that they do a good job making sense of the signals sent by their pets.<\/p>\n
But, what about signals from wildlife? What is the purpose of the howl of a wolf? The penguin dance of the grebe? The spread-wing stance of the dipper? The huff of the black bear?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The communications of the loon are a particular source of fascination, in part because its calls are so evocative and beautiful. We have named four of them — wail, hoot, tremolo and yodel — and for each, a supposed message has been deduced. The loon also adopts various understood stances in its close interactions with others. So, it is not unreasonable to ask: When a loon raises its foot out of the water and waggles it, what is it signaling?<\/p>\n
Consequently, the purpose of the waggling foot of the loon has received modest study.<\/p>\n
It seems that the loon is communicating nothing: the bird is merely having a stretch. Chuckle.<\/p>\n
A juvenile Common Loon waggles a foot as it drifts languidly by. Ho-hum.\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
People are at pains to interpret the sounds and gestures of one another. They want to do the same for animals and feel that they do a good job making sense of the signals sent by their pets. But, … Continue reading