UKUBANGALASA okusabisayo kwe-common loon kuwumsindo ongalibaleki kwabaningi. * Lo msindo okukhumbuza amahlane athule, ungezwakala emachibini akude nasemadolobheni nasemifuleni yaseCanada, eYurophu nasenyakatho ye-United States.

Le nyoni enhle yasemanzini, iyinyoni yasesifundazweni saseMinnesota, e-U.S.A. futhi isithombe sayo sikhona ohlamvwini lwemali eyi-dollar yaseCanada—i-loonie. Nokho, le nyoni iyafuduka futhi ubusika ivame ukubuchitha isezindaweni ezikude ogwini oluseningizimu. Kungani kuthiwa le nyoni inemisindo ethakazelisayo?

Ama-loon akhipha imisindo ekhexisayo ngamaphimbo awo. Ukubangalasa kwawo okwesabisayo kuzwakala kusihlwa futhi kungezwakala ebangeni eliqhele ngamakhilomitha amaningi. Ukukhala kwawo okupholile okuthi akufane nokwesikhova, akwenza lapho ekhuluma nabalingane bawo, amachwane kanye namanye ama-loon ahlala nawo echibini. Umsindo wokuvevezelisa izwi awukhipha uma exwayisa ngengozi. Lo msindo ochazwa ngokuthi “uhleko lokusangana,” uwukuphela komsindo ama-loon awenza lapho endiza.

Uhlobo lomsindo osakuhlabelela, wenziwa ama-loon angamaduna kuphela futhi “ubonakala uhlobene nokuvikelwa komngcele,” kusho umagazini i-BirdWatch Canada. “Iduna ngalinye likhipha lo msindo osakuhlabelela, ohlukile kowamanye amaduna,” futhi “lapho i-loon lilikhulu, iphimbo liyandonda.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho iduna “lishintsha indawo elihlala kuyo, lishintsha nendlela elihlabelela ngayo,” futhi “lenza lokhu kuhlabelela kwehluke ngangokunokwenzeka kulokho ebelikwenza endaweni ebelihlala kuyo ngaphambili,” kusho lo magazini.

I-loon linekhanda elinombala oluhlaza sengathi ufuna ukuba mnyama, amehlo abomvu noqhwaku olude olumnyama olucijile. Izimpaphe zalo ziyashintshashintsha kuye ngezinkathi zonyaka.

Njengoba enezinyawo ezinkulu ezifana nezedada,  ama-loon angabazingeli abaphumelelayo, ompetha bokubhukuda nezingcweti zabatshuzi. Eqinisweni, akwazi ukutshuza afinyelele ebangeni elijule ngamamitha angu-60, ngezinye izikhathi ahlale ngaphansi kwamanzi imizuzu embalwa.

Nokho, lapho i-loon lisuka nalapho lihlala, lithwala kanzima! Ngenxa yesisindo sayo, le nyoni idinga indawo “evulekile” ukuze ikwazi ukusuka indize, futhi ibhakuzisa izimpiko, igijime emanzini amamitha angamakhulu ambalwa ngaphambi kokuba iphakame. Ngenxa yalokho, ama-loon athanda izindawo ezinamanzi amaningi. Lapho lihlala ngemva kokundiza, lehla ngesivinini esikhulu izinyawo zalo zelulekele emuva, njengokungathi “ibhanoyi” elehluleka ukuvula amasondo lapho lizohlala. Libe selithaxazeka emanzini ngesisu bese lishishiliza njalo phezu kwawo lize lime.

Nakuba izinyawo ze-loon ezifana nezedada zikahle kakhulu ekubhukudeni, njengoba zisemuva kakhulu emzimbeni walo, ukuhamba kwalo—ngisho nokuma—kuxakile. Yingakho ama-loon akha izidleke zawo endaweni okungaba lula ukuba avele agxumele emanzini.

Bobabili abazali bayashintshana ngokufukamela amaqanda (ngokuvamile amabili), anombala othi awufane nowomnqumo abese eba namachashazana amnyama. La maqanda achanyuselwa ngemva kwezinsuku ezilinganiselwa kwezingu-29. Lapho enezinsuku ezimbili, amachwane asuke esengabhukuda futhi aze ashone ngaphansi kwamanzi isikhashana. Lapho edinga ukuphumula, avele agibele emhlane kanina. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbili noma ezintathu, lapho amachwane esekwazi ukundiza, ayabashiya abazali.

Izitha ze-loon zihlanganisa izinkozi, izinyoni zasogwini lolwandle (gull), ama-raccoon, futhi ezinkulu kunazo zonke—abantu. Umthofu wezindobo namafutha achithekela emanzini kuwushevu kulezi zinyoni. Amakhemikhali angcolisayo abangelwa yimvula ene-asidi anciphisa inani lezinhlanzi ezidliwa ama-loon. Amagagasi abangelwa yizikebhe agugula izidleke zawo. Ukwakha okwenziwa ezindaweni ezingasemachibini kuyazixosha lezi zinyoni ezithanda ukuhlala zodwa kulezi zindawo.

Naphezu kwalezi zinto, imihlambi yama-loon iyaqhubeka inempilo enhle. Yingakho le nyoni enhle ngokubabazekayo enemisindo eyingqayizivele nezindlela ezihlekisayo kufanele iqhubeke ibahlaba umxhwele abathandi bezinyoni eminyakeni eminingi ezayo.