Living in the Northern US state where Common Loon or Great Northern Diver (scientific name: Gavia immer) breeding habitats overlaps, I hear the wailing of loons calling often at the nearby lakes. It is as common as calls of mourning doves, or bluejays around here. What I did not know was the fascination of Hollywood with the sound of loon wailing. "Why Hollywood loves this creepy bird call" When was the last time you heard Loon wailing, real or in a movie?
Too far north for me to hear them in the wild. I'm in whip-poor-will country. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Antrostomus_vociferus_-_Eastern_Whip-poor-will_-_XC103418.ogg
I feel like nearly every lake or pond I visit to camp or paddle has a couple of loons. They're an interesting bird, almost exclusively aquatic because they can barely walk on land and can only take off from water, due to where their feet are positioned. There's a nonprofit up here that saves loons from iced in lakes every winter. Every year a few get stranded in iced in lakes and can't migrate south for the winter.
