At four weeks of age, the downy feathers that kept the loon babies afloat, make way for their primary juvenile feathers. The young loons are now too old to ride on their parents backs anymore, although some may still try.
At five weeks the juvenile contour feathers start to develop. They can capture small prey such as crayfish by themselves, but still rely on their parents as their main food source.
The juvenile feathers continue to develop at six weeks. The parents will leave the chicks for longer periods of time, although one adult will usually be keeping a watchful eye for signs of danger from a distance.