Not long ago, I was watching "Game of Thrones," the megahit HBO show set in the fictional world of Westeros, when I heard a sound I knew well: the long, high call of the common loon. I'd heard it a ...

On the New Hampshire lake where I spend much of the summer, loon calls are so common that I sometimes take them for granted. The sounds of the common loon (Gavia immer) are indicative of wilderness ...

This column has a soundtrack, and you might know the one. Imagine yourself in the North Woods on a summer night, next to a clear, quiet lake. Now listen for the haunting calls of a common loon ...

Along with the Wilhelm scream and that part of every movie trailer with a dramatic bass drop, TV and film sound designers love to incorporate the cry of the humble loon into every wilderness scene ...