In the spring when the loons have chicks you can lure the adult birds near the boat by playing a loon call. Then you dip the net under the bird and pick it up into the boat. We also put colored leg bands on the bird so we can see them from a distance and identify which bird it is without having to capture them again. For example we might mark a bird with a red band over blue band on the left leg. This marking method has been very successful and safe for the loons as well.
Loons are a relatively heavy bird because their bodies are designed for diving.
They have nearly solid bones while most other birds have hollow bones. While their weight is helpful in swimming and diving it makes it hard for them to take off and fly. For this reason they need to run on the water, somewhat like a airplane taking off on a runway. Loon chicks hatch 24 hours apart and often the first chick to hatch is slightly bigger and is dominant. This means that when the parents bring food the bigger chick is more likely to get fed.