You may have spotted one on the Canadian

The Loon about to take flight, photo taken by Steffon McGregor - (705) 785-3095

one dollar coin, now universally dubbed the "Loonie." The Loon is a large swimming bird with a dagger-like bill. When they're in the Mississagi River Valley area (in the summer months), they have a checkered back and a white collar. In the winter, however, they appear nothing like what we see them as, and instead have a dull black back, with a white underside. The loon is among the bigger birds of the area. It is likely that they were named after their call, which sounds almost like a lunatic's laughter during the day. At night their call is almost magical, echoing across the lakes; it sounds like a quick, trilly "haoo-oo-oo-oo". Its very rare that you will ever spot one on shore, because they have a hard time walking, as their legs are very short and better to swim with than to walk. However, they can be, and very often are, spotted on just about any lake in the area.