Weather conditions causing loons to fall from sky in Wisconsin

Weather conditions causing loons to fall from sky in Wisconsin

Weather conditions causing loons to fall from sky in Wisconsin

You’re not the only one unhappy about the chilly weather conditions this late in April.

Loons are actually falling from the sky in northern Wisconsin because of the conditions, according to a Wisconsin wildlife nonprofit.

The Raptor Education Group says it has gotten a lot of calls over the past few days from people seeing a lot of loons on land and small ponds.

Due to the volume, the group — which is focused on caring for and rehabilitating injured or orphaned birds — believes a “loon fallout” is happening.

According to the nonprofit, a loon fallout happens when migrating loons get ice on their bodies while they’re flying, causing them to crash land because of the weight of the ice on their body and how it interferes with their ability to fly.

“It usually happens with the atmospheric conditions if it’s icing at altitude and it just happens to coincide with the time they are migrating its a really big problem for them,” said Marge Gibson, founder of the Raptor Education Group. 

Experts say that loons scoot instead of walking due to their feet being toward the back of their body. When they are stuck on land, this makes it difficult to get back to the water to take off again.

The Raptor Education Group is asking anyone who finds loons in trouble to send pictures or videos to them. Staff members are then able to get to some and treat them. They have been rehabilitating loons that may have been injured during fallout, or can’t find a body of water big enough to take off.

Officials say the loons are migrating at this time and they’re in touch with biologists in Canada and Montana, where similar situations are happening.

Anyone in northern Wisconsin who sees any loons in trouble can call the education group at 715-623-4015 or Loon Rescue at 715-966-5415.

Experts from the National Loon Center say they are monitoring the situation in Wisconsin.