White loon spotted north of Minnesota border in Canada

There might not be a more beloved bird in Minnesota than the loon.

[@rwild9356]

What a stunning animal! Congrats to the photographer.

[@IanCthrwd]

Chris Whitty is his name

[@t.c.2776]

I could change a black on to white with AI... no biggie... 😉... and that bird will sadly probably have a problem finding a Mate...

[@karenwhite4461]

Leucistic birds are rarely seen, but are always amazing.

[@dvvass]

I have pictures of the same, and white ducks, not domestic...no one seems to care when I do it

[@nottechytutorials]

@@dvvassThat the world for you.

[@catzbestfriend]

We have leucistic robins up here in my small town in Wisconsin. I’ve not seen an all white one yet just patchwork ones. They are really cute tho!

[@mel999.]

God sees u ❤ ​@@dvvass

[@uriamudeltoro5075]

If he's leucistic.....would his eyes be dark if it were an albino???? Asking for me....❤❤❤❤

[@janeclayton151]

Loons are so cool, their calls are both nostalgic and haunting, nothing like it.... Nature is so fascinating.

[@t.c.2776]

Try to get to sleep on a summer night with all those birds making that sound they make... you might not think it sweet music to your ears.. it can be majestic and at the same time IRRITATIONG...

[@Nuuur_9]

The intro to Canadian Innu band Kashtin’s song Akua Tuta features loons calling, beautiful sounds indeed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGOqc4GQfahnhJosi=MGGWCnI4GwlrCmJD

[@Adonna2424]

I'm so happy he's kept the location a secret! How beautiful!

[@guineapiglady2841]

😡😡😡

[@DwightStJohn-t7y]

pretty hard to NOT spot those white on the water birds. we had one two years ago on Lake Windermere and she stood out for a few miles on the lake.. Kilometres. We put it on our dollar coin. !!

[@averycheesypotato]

@@DwightStJohn-t7y for you to see is great, but you know if the rare bird trends online it will end up being harassed or worse by gawking tourists and amateur wildlife photographers

[@jfm14]

​@@guineapiglady2841 You mad?

[@guineapiglady2841]

@@jfm14 yeah

[@animallover4ever229]

I think the Loon is one of the most beautiful birds in the world, if you get to see them in your lifetime you are a very lucky person!!

[@ThatOpalGuy]

have you ever seen a cassowary

[@joshuasprinkles3490]

They are common as hell what are you talking about.

[@synovium]

I saw them three times while camping in The Boundary Waters National Park, and it was unforgettable! Their haunting calls during the day and the solitary loon's echoing call at night through the dense forest were magical.

[@rachellandry3116]

but.. the peacock!

[@rachellandry3116]

that aint no boid.. that there is a disembowlin' dino.

[@SaltJamie]

As a birder I was losing my mind when I saw this... Our amazing world!!!

[@mre_man]

Keep your hands out of your pants man!

[@Literally_kyle2]

@@mre_man?

[@sleepinggiantssister1238]

I have seen a white moose in the wild and I have seen a crow where every second feather in it’s wing’s and tail were white. The crow knew he was unique looking, it jumped up in the air to fly and it seemed to do an aeronautical move just to display it’s perfectly flared plumage to me, while the other crow just stayed on the ground.

[@scootertrash911]

There is a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in my area. I saw it perched in large pine tree 50 yards from my house. I catch glimpses of the white hawk driving around the area and see other hawks almost daily trying to catch some of my other critters lurking around our mini-farm(a patch of woods surrounded by subdivisions).

[@gazepskotzs4]

Awesome! we had an almost full white buzzard overhere, but sadly i haven't seen it for a couple of years now.

[@maryamjoha]

Beautiful! 💕

[@suchnothing]

I used to live in the same neighborhood as a leucistic magpie! It feels so special to see such rare animals in your backyard. You're lucky to have seen a white hawk like that, and I'm happy you appreciate it. Most people, in my experience, don't even notice the animals around them.

[@gazepskotzs4]

@@l.baileyjean3719 Thunderbird

[@christophernuzzi2780]

I saw an albino Tree Swallow once, on Cape Cod, sitting with a long row of other Tree Swallows on a power line. It was albino, not leucistic - it had red eyes!

[@margaretarross1712]

That is the most beautiful bird I've ever seen.

[@ro2670]

Hands down, without question. I don’t even appreciate birds and this one caught my eye in the thumbnail.

[@suchnothing]

I used to live in the same neighborhood as a white magpie. White birds that are supposed to be black are always eye catching, it's such a cool sight. I clicked on this video so fast.

[@JuliaWeber-o7q]

I agree the white is so beautiful

[@TheDragonMamma]

Such a lovely encounter with what we Canadian Indigenous refer to as a spirit animal. Thank you for being respectful and keeping the location private!

[@0230Raveena]

Gorgeous Bird! Of course if you take the time to truly enjoy nature, they are all so beautiful.

[@Ken_G.]

Wow, what an amazing bird. I grew up on a lake with loons and that's incredible. Very, very good move not telling anyone where it was.

[@t.c.2776]

Let's hope it doesn't end up stuffed in some aviary museum... and it may even have difficulty finding a mate... it's a genetic mutation...

[@rutha1464]

Thank God for the electronic age. I never would have been exposed to this, yet another great wonder of nature. Thanks for posting!

[@joshuasprinkles3490]

You think loons have never been captured on regular non digital film before?

[@rachellandry3116]

yes! the internet...like fire.. can be used for good and for bad..

[@alm5992]

@@joshuasprinkles3490 And the entire world have access to it? Use your brain.

[@kaitlynr9271]

I’ve always wanted to see a loon in person bc I love their call. Now I’m even more fascinated because of this story :) birds are truly incredible.

[@Cafeallday222]

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen one but I’ve heard them a lot!

[@50pinkies67]

My father (RIP) loved the beautiful loons at lakes fishing in Georgia. I learned to later love their calls in the evening. He used to yell at stupid drivers ... "you are crazy as a loon." 😂 Great memories. ❤

[@Paul1958R]

I live in E. MA. For about 4 years (2012-2016) I observed an almost pure white leucistic red-tailed hawk in a local conservation area near my home. Absolutely stunning watching this bird soar or perch in tall pine trees. My local Audubon told me it was exceptionally rare.

[@suchnothing]

That would be so cool to see! I grew up in an area where red tailed hawks were common, so I'm pretty familiar with them. Seeing a leucistic one would be such a treat.

[@mortsims]

beautiful. when i was a kid my grandparents farm in linden michigan had a white blackbird. it stayed around one summer and then we never saw it again.

[@JEmmertz]

Thanks for finding and showing this rare bird! I've seen quite a few odd morphs and leucistic birds and deers, but none as striking as this Loon. Well done, Chris W! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@Yosetime]

You guys don't forget that he is ours!! Canadian! We've made 2 very large and heavy coins that we have to carry around with us like luggage but we do it proudly because our loons' pictures are on them! I see loons at nearly every lake that I fish at. Not a rare sight but they are just as beautiful each time I see one. But this white one is so very special. What beautiful pictures! Somebody needs to paint that or make it into prints or something and they'd make a good penny, I mean, looney out of it!

[@Carl_McMelvin]

What a dumb comment.

[@TheKatarinaGiselle]

In retrospect, they actually are a very rare occurance for most people. So you should feel very, very blessed to see them so often! They are a dream for bird spotters!! Keep in mind that loons are VERY very rare because of their genes. They aren't albino, they just lack most of their color, but still have beautiful black marks on them. They truly are remarkable and very rare indeed. Also, they get even lighter in the fall.

[@Carl_McMelvin]

NPC

[@teddure5290]

They don't think about us much.

[@andrewheitmeyer9945]

You can have the loon. We will take the Stanley Cups.

[@patfrench8046]

Those birds are all awesomely beautiful! Thank you.

[@LoriDMarchell]

This is amazing, a white Bison calf has been born in Yellowstone 6/4/2024-Mother Earth is asking us to take care of our earth ❤

[@JeanMccreesh]

Thank you Chris for capturing this. I didn't know beautiful Minnesota was our Looney lover State. We are looney for Loons in Canada as you know, eh? 😅 🇨🇦

[@donnalarson1660]

Beautiful sight to see . Loons are awesome.

[@Nikki7B]

Beautiful. We love our loons up here in Canada, such a beautiful sound and sight.

[@MichaelHolt-g1d]

Was recently in New Hampshire, and saw my first Loon, and heard it before I saw it, was fascinated when I saw it, just watched it as it swam by, did my best to keep my distance in a canoe, and got as many photos as I could

[@jaymeelk9380]

Like the birth of the white buffalo, take this sign that we must do more to save EARTH and all its magnificent creatures!

[@wisdomsleuth77777]

I think weather modification cloud seeding whatever you want to call it is exponentially making things worse. Think about a magnifying glass mirror ball effect the stuff that they use like silver iodide is bacteriostatic which actually kills rain attracting bacteria only has a negative charge with three negative ions is highly conductive flammable and can cross the blood-brain barrier and take other things with it. It will be in everything you eat and what it ate the air in the water. But that is why everything is getting so hectic so quickly people who have been observing it are well aware of this. The evaporation rate is multiplied which means not only is it effective for what we have now it is definitely not filling up our water table which means more water needs to be used on crops to keep them from dying and the evaporation rate means they need more water still. People don't think it's a problem or want to call climate change a hoax until their Town Runs Out of Water and their life changes the not in my backyard thinkers need to stop and think😢

[@BrianShaneRushton]

It's just a genetic mutation. Settle down

[@LindaC616]

White Buffalo isn't a bad sign

[@miapdx503]

Yes, we have signs...but they're being ignored...by the ignorant.

[@Arbysroastbeefjuice]

@@BrianShaneRushtonAlways an angry guy in the comments

[@djknox2]

Wow beautiful. Canadians also love their loons.

[@SorenAlba54]

A white loon? I never thought I’d hear that, let alone get a glimpse of it on photo. Fascinating.

[@Phobos_95]

"North of Minnesota border" guys, open a map. BC is on the literal other end of the continent. Here I am in Northwestern Ontario getting ready to try and find this mythic White Loon and y'all hit me with what is basically: "Albino Alligator sighted north of Los Angeles! This Louisiana photographer found a crazy rare animal while vacationing in Georgia..."

[@kal8344]

Wow!!! What a beautiful bird!!!

[@user-yg6ve9zv5b]

When I was a kid the call of the Loon used to scare the bijeebers out of me. Now it reminds me of simpler times.

[@WiseSnake]

I finally heard my first loon call in March way down in Arkansas. I was so hyped. I'd love to travel up north and hear them more often.

[@BadgerCheese94]

I have lived in MN for nearly 7 years but only heard loons once... on a summer evening (my birthday) in Detroit Lakes. Its an incredible call.

[@MarSchlosser]

Hey, it's Betty White country. You want loons, go to Minnesota! But, congratulations on finding a sacred bird. Beautiful!

[@thereadersvoice]

Fun fact: Loons are the oldest bird, evolutionarily. Unlike other birds, which have lightweight, hollow skeletons, loons still have skeletons of solid bone.

[@richardbidinger2577]

That is a gorgeous bird.

[@susanb4816]

Getting close to a loon nesting area often results in adults abandoning the nest, leaving eggs or hatchlings. Do not disturb

[@kimberlycronen3998]

What a beautiful loon! 🤩 Awesome story. Great interviewees!

[@angelinimartini]

I love Birder’s. Some of the best people in the world. Thank you to everyone who comes across something beautiful and keeps its location a secret of the heart.

[@mythra7174]

When I was a kid, my family and I would stay at a cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. When I was swimming in the lake one time (I had my goggles on), I saw this big form swimming below me. I got nervous, I thought it was a big fish or maybe a turtle and thought my toes would be fair game 😊. It was a loon. It was so cool to see it swimming underwater.

[@VoidHalo]

The thing is, that lighter color means they don't blend in with their background anymore. They stick out for predators. That's why it's so rare. Survival of the fittest in action. There is a famous case of peppered moths in the UK. They were white originally. But during the industrial revolution in the 1800s, soot covered everything, making the few black moths harder to spot by predators. While the white ones stuck out and were eaten by predators. Leading to the peppered moths all being black because those were the moths that blended in with the soot and escaped predation. Literally evolution in action. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppered_moth_evolution

[@cindycreateforlife]

You make it sound like loons are not prevalent in Canada, they are on most lakes and rivers all summer! Here in Ontario, we love their calls across the water, they make cottage country memories! Thank you to the photographer for sharing his gorgeous pictures of the white loon, it is beautiful too!

[@wwisaacson4807]

Two of my sons and I were in Voyagers National Park. We were at our campsite when a pair of loons and their young swam by within 3 feet of us. They would dive down and catch a minnow, surface and feed the minnow to their young.

[@Wonderland_Homestead]

I just realized how much I've been missing out on by calling all waterbirds "ducks"

[@shirleyjhaney1041]

Omg it’s so beautiful in the photos it even had !!! a pleasant countenance his or her little face expression so cute!!! ❤❤❤❤ the photographer is a hero I’m crying ❤

[@suchnothing]

Getting so excited about a loon that you forget to put your car into park is exactly the kind of energy I want in my life. I lived in a neighborhood in Edmonton for a few years where a leucistic magpie lived. It was SO cool looking. One time it landed on the edge of my apartment window and looked into my apartment at me and my cat. I got so excited every time I saw it, but never managed to grab a good photo.

[@tshaffer9681]

I love looney birds. I loved to hear their haunting calls across the misty morning lake.

[@pennytaylor4133]

Keep the location a secret. Awesome nature.

[@t.c.2776]

as everyone swoons over how beautiful this bird is to us because of it's uniqueness... you may want to say good bye and a prayer as you may never see another one in your lifetime as this bird will probably never find a Mate... beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and what genetically normal black loon would find a strange looking white bird beautiful and Mate Worthy... it does look more like a Seagull and may just get lucky if it gets close to the coast...

[@TheGrimStoic]

0:56 why does the speckling on the black ones look mauve or indigo from some angles - is that iridescence - amazing

[@jfm14]

What a magnificent creature! Truly something special. 🩶 from Wisconsin

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

Always cool to see, there are bald eagles in my area of Wv again for the first time in decades, I think there are two breeding pairs. I've seen a leucistic red tailed hawk, a piebald robin and a completely white house sparrow in my life. Oh, and a white mallard.

[@maymayman0]

Its lovely how the other birds don't care that he looks different 😄

[@SandraCat22]

Note to all Americans: the province of BC is nowhere near all of you guys in Minnesota

[@FlintSparkedStudios]

Where I live, loons only pass through in the late winter in a two week window, so they are somewhat mystical to me. I can’t imagine seeing a ghostly one.

[@theresehopkins1581]

They are absolutely gorgeous!!!❤😊🎉

[@sschild]

Beautiful & amazing & about the same time of someone taking photos of a white buffalo!

[@EyeSeeThruYou]

Thank you for posting this report, I love loons! Kudos and congratulations to Chris Witty for his sharp eyes and tenacious photography skills, too. 📸 👍 We only see them intermittently during the dry season here in Florida, but if you're lucky and on the eastern coast, you might catch a glimpse! 😊❤

[@johndavidwolf4239]

So beautiful!!! Please keep seeking out those photos!

[@you2angel1]

Wow how beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing °~•.☆.•~°

[@trillium.3.24]

I love the nesting platforms! Those are so cool.

[@daleschroeder-jm9gu]

Loons are very fast underwater I seen them going after minnows amazing😁

[@erynkrieger1279]

Wow what an amazing American bird that lives in Canada....

[@darkglass3011]

So basically, it's the equivalent of finding a full odds Shiny Combee in the wild from the Pokémon games. That really is rare.

[@josiecirigliano9134]

Such a beautiful , stunning creature!!♥️

[@lunasnightshade]

I don’t see them often because there is a road between my house and the lake so it’s a bit of a distance but I hear them pretty often and it’s always a joy to hear them and know they are around

[@elzaaltmann]

Beautiful birds. Especially the white one. Love the sound they make.

[@ClunFunDun]

Well done news piece. Thank you

[@AdrienneZazulak]

I could mimic the loon call as a child, and they would respond back to me. I lost it in adulthood, sadly

[@thelittlestgiant]

For someone who is being paid to speak as perfectly as possible, how is this dude going to pronounce photographer as “fur-tographer”? 😂

[@bicknell67]

Such a beautiful bird

[@DeanGelsinger-wq9lr]

I know where that lake is. That little island gave it away. I rented a cabin in that little bay one summer and enjoyed those loons.

[@suzywhitty4350]

The video filler was from the tv station, not the photographer or his location.

[@DeanGelsinger-wq9lr]

@@suzywhitty4350 ?

[@wendyvalentin1175]

Thank you for the fotos congratulations to the photographer

[@juliej5917]

Chris Whitty is a hobby photographer?? So talented!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@DavidM2002]

How does the remote lake in British Columbia fit into this story ? I used to have a home on a lake in the interior of BC ( near 100 Mile House ) and would usually hear the loons around sunset. It was always a treat.

[@djlady1957]

Amazing, keep the lake a secret. If people flood the area the loons abandon their nests.

[@adriennefriend]

Absolutely gorgeous. Love loons

[@miranda1594]

"If you're looking for it you won't find it," my plight with spotting a pileated woodpecker 😅

[@minimaxmiaandme.4971]

Love the sound of loons at night....Beautiful bird...

[@patroberts5449]

First a white Loon, then a white buffalo…..something’s up……. The Great Spirit isn’t fooling this time around

[@alicemcpherson7961]

White Loon. White Buffalo. Are we listening?

[@BowlHeadRalts]

That guy was destined to meet that bird for the passion he has for them

[@avayu2289]

This photographed loon is quite a beauty! Truly.❤

[@brianedwards7142]

They make high maintenance friends, always calling.

[@spaccebabycreations8084]

Bro found a shiny pokemon

[@colettemarshall6891]

Anchorage, Alaska has a white leucistic Raven❤️ (with its own FB page!)

[@happyfisherman4432]

this is actually a tactically trained military animal.. its basically a general commanding a squadron of canadian geese bombers

[@nevoobrazimiy]

Oh, sweet sweet rural Minnesota - home for the World's weirdest animals!

[@timobrien2586]

I hope the bird will stay safe from humans.

[@l.b.5892]

There's a breeding ground on the bay at the lake I'm on, and it's magical in the spring with baby loons and busy parents. I'm in Ontario Canada as well, and wonder whether that lake is near me; as I though I saw a white loon this spring too... 😊

[@Managable_Mayhem]

Colour mutations are what got me so interested in genetics of animals. It's really interesting and impressive how genetics and mutations can work.

[@FJ-rh6io]

"if it has a mate and how it's received by the community" a literal star

[@cecilyerker]

I was wanting to see a loon video and the algorithm graciously supplied it! 😊

[@silliaek]

Mom, they're all staring

[@rachellandry3116]

Beautiful.... enchanting... even without lasers for eyes...

[@lukeocasio2784]

Hes and OG for not telling people the location.

[@VictorianRabbit3456]

First the white buffalo and now this. Something is happening.

[@DwightStJohn-t7y]

Well, you're in LOON country and right in the centre! We had a leucistic loon on Lake Windermere, and we don't have many loons out west.

[@warrengee-f9l]

Have had a red grey squirrel in my yard ... lots of grey / blacks ... but had a red phase for a few years 100% red

[@lindamacfarland8468]

Awesome find! Assuming this bird is not tagged. Is there a plan to attempt capture and tag?

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

I call them Zentangle birds. They are simply amazing, that call