What Do Minnesota Loons Taste Like?

It's one of those questions that pops up every so often: What does a Minnesota loon taste like?

The short answer? You'll never legally find out...and according to history, you probably wouldn't want to anyway.

The common loon, Minnesota's official state bird, is protected throughout the United States under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

That means it's illegal to hunt, kill, possess, or eat one.

Canada also protects loons, although some First Nations communities have limited exceptions for traditional subsistence harvesting.

Even before these legal protections were in place, loons had a reputation for being one of the least appetizing birds around.

Their diet consists almost entirely of fish, amphibians, and crustaceans, giving the meat a strong, oily, fishy flavor that most people found unpleasant.

Famed naturalist John James Audubon reportedly sampled loon meat during his travels and described it as dark, incredibly tough, and "rank".

In fact, one of the oldest hunting jokes in North America perfectly sums up the bird's culinary reputation.

The "recipe" instructs you to nail the loon to a hardwood plank, roast it over hot coals for two hours, throw away the loon, and eat the plank instead.

So while the common loon is one of Minnesota's most recognizable wildlife icons, known for its haunting calls echoing across northern lakes, it's definitely not considered table fare.

Between federal protections and centuries of terrible taste reviews, the loon is a bird best appreciated through binoculars, not on a dinner plate.