Loons: Gaviiformes

People are attracted to loons because of the birds' vocalizations. Thousands of tourists flock to the northwoods each year to hear the loons. In this way, loons are beneficial to the tourist industry of these regions. On the flip side, the other human activities involved in these vacations, such as canoeing, are threatening to the birds. When canoes hit the waters of Lake Superior, for example, the loons panic and over-react by abandoning their nests and any eggs in them. Often, they do not return, so the eggs die.