Others are picked up by amateur naturalists or loon enthusiasts from groups like the Maine Audubon Society or the New Hampshire Loon Preservation Committee. At the clinic, each bird is given an X-ray to detect broken bones and swallowed fishing gear. The loons also get a close external examination to record their weight, dimensions, general health and any injuries. The external exams provide the kind of basic information that scientists can't get from living loons, which are wary and resist life in captivity. No one has ever been able to keep a loon alive in a wildlife park or a laboratory because the birds won't eat unless they're in the wild.
Loons also respond poorly to rehabilitation efforts.
In 1996, when an oil spill fouled the Rhode Island coast, rescue workers took 80 loons to a wildlife clinic for emergency treatment. That's why it's important for us to collect as much data as we can,'' says Rose Miconi, a wildlife biologist who works at the clinic. Staff photo by David A. Rodgers. The internal examination of a loon, called a necropsy, is carried out in a veterinary hospital lab equipped with stainless steel tables, a powerful ventilation system and numerous floor drains. It's a smelly, unpleasant but fascinating process that yields vital information.