Loon pairs, once together, stay together and do everything in synchrony. The loon family stays together all of the summer. At the end, the adults congregate together in groups of 15 or 20, and they engage in bill dipping, head turning, jerk swimming, and splash diving . All of this is performed by an individual as the other loons swim in a circle. If an outsider comes into the social gathering, there is usually an aggressive confrontation.
Fighting involves posturing with lowered head and neck.
They have been known to defend other loons' young as well. Air sacks, particularly large in the species, allow them to make long and deep dives, although most food is caught in shallow water. Habitat Shallow, marshy areas. Habitat is largely chosen based on how appropriate the environment is for building a nest as well as the abundance of food. Loons live on the banks of freshwater rivers or lakes, although food for young can only come from freshwater lakes.