No Bird Can Do It All: Some Can't Walk, Fly, Swim or Stand

Buzz Blossom & Squeak — Be a Neighborhood Naturalist · Oct 1, 2026 · 9m

There's an old joke about a loon, a warbler, an emu, and a duck standing around, each one wishing it had a skill it didn't have, except the duck, who can do all four. I ran across that joke and realized it wasn't a joke at all. It's just basic bird biology wearing a silly hat, and it's a perfect excuse to talk about the birds that got left out on one or more basic skills, and the one that somehow didn't. **Loons Can't Stand** A loon's legs are set way back near its tail instead of in the middle of its body, which makes it a torpedo underwater and a disaster on land. They can't walk, they…