5. Loon Behavior:

One of the coolest behaviors of loons is to watch them rise out of the water and give a dramatic wing flap. Why do loons do this? This behavior is part of its preening and grooming routine. Loons have to keep their feathers clean, aligned, and waterproofed. I typically observed them do the wing flap right after a loon finished a grooming session in which used its bill to spread oils from its uropygial gland (located near its tail feathers) on to its body feathers. The wing flap is really part of the preening process.