The Strange Case of the Loon & Goldeneye

[Rick Howie]

Some of you may have seen photos of the loon feeding a Barrow's Goldeneye chick at Paul lake near Kamloops this year. Here is another photo of this strange relationship where the goldeneye has learned to ride on the loon's back. There is a loon chick in the family mix as well, so it seems that the goldeneye has not only learned to accept food from the loon, but to ride like a loon chick. What will it do at breeding season :-)

I am wondering if this is not an unprecedented relationship as I have seen nothing in literature about it.

Picture taken by Doug Giles.

 

Rick Howie 

Kamloops

[Len Jellicoe]

Great story Rick.  I was up at Paul Lake last weekend for a wedding but didn’t see this.

See you in the field
Len Jellicoe
Abbotsford, BC
Canada

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<Goldeneye on loon's back.jpg>