GANSEVOORT — are the most striking creature of Adirondack Park lore. Its haunting, drawn-out wails are synonymous with the Park’s lakes. Black and white speckling and red dots resembling eyes can be found on craft fair paintings and Old Forge souvenir magnets. Though the bird itself is not commonly seen, its presence in the mind of northern New Yorkers is nearly a mythical symbol of the Adirondacks.

If you catch a glimpse of a loon, it's usually a small, black spot far out on the water. If you hadn’t seen one before, it would be easy to glance at that speck and assume it to be driftwood, or a duck. Its intricate adult plumage makes it difficult to make out the true outline of the bird, acting like camouflage to overhead predators.

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