The Annual Loon Count

Will you join us?

On the morning of the third Saturday of July each year, more than 1,600 volunteers venture onto lakes and ponds across the state to count loons. The observations recorded by our community scientist volunteers provide an excellent “snapshot” of the loon population in Maine. Contact us at conserve@maineaudubon.org to learn more about getting involved. Since 1983, volunteers have been counting loons on Maine lakes to help monitor the health of the population. In this special video (at the bottom of this page), you’ll hear from biologists and loon count organizers at Maine Audubon as well as some of the loon count volunteers to find out what makes the count so special, why the data is important, and how easy it is to be involved!

Over the course of any given year, our loon biologists field a lot of questions about loon biology, behavior, and migration patterns. We wanted to share answers to some of the most frequently asked questions, so we present: Your Loon Questions Answered.

Results of the Loon Count

The 42nd Annual Loon Count took place on Saturday, July 19, 2025. It was another great year for the Loon Count and for Common Loons. Every single number associated with the Annual Loon Count was higher in 2025 than it was in 2024—the number of adult loons, loon chicks, lakes counted, and volunteers—and scientists at Maine Audubon say it’s a great indication that the Common Loon population is healthy in Maine.

Read the full results and details here >

Each year, our estimate is for Maine south of the 45th parallel—roughly south of a line from Rangeley to Calais—which is the area where we have enough lakes covered by counters to make a reliable estimate.

For more than 40 years, community scientists have helped us collect invaluable data to chart the status of our loon population over time. Open our interactive data dashboard (new in 2025; best viewed on a computer) to view a map of annual loon count results for each lake and explore historic population estimates, survey lakes, and volunteer effort (updated 2025). You can also visit the interactive map on Lakes of Maine to view historic loon count results across Maine lakes alongside other lake data (updated 2024).”