Why do loons sometimes charge swimmers?

Minnesotans love loons for their haunting calls, striking beauty and adorable chicks that ride on their parents’ backs. But what happens when one of these iconic birds suddenly charges a swimmer? After a young Curious Minnesota listener accidentally swam between a fierce loon and its chicks, he wanted to know: Do loons attack people, and how often does it happen? Reporter Eva Herscowitz spoke with biologists, wildlife rescuers and devoted loon watchers to find out. In this episode, host Erica Pearson and Herscowitz explore the warning signs loons use when they feel threatened, the rare encounters that have left people injured and why humans pose a much greater danger to loons than loons do to us. Plus, Erica’s dad shares the unforgettable story of his own face-to-face encounter with an angry loon in northern Minnesota.