Bruce and Gail Small could not stop exclaiming as they navigated their boat in and around the bays, nooks, crannies, and marinas at a busy end of Sebago Lake. It was their fourth year participating in Maine Audubon’s Annual Loon Count. Bruce navigated the boat while Gail recorded each sighting carefully on the map. And every time a loon popped up, or a loon cry pierced the morning air, their smiles grew broader and broader. From 7 to 7:30 am on July 20, this scenario played out on 427 lakes across the state, as 1,848 volunteers looked and listened for loons, for the 42nd year of this beloved annual event.
As for the results? 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. A healthy loon population is good for many reasons, as it also means enough clear waters, healthy fish populations, and breeding habitat to support a stable loon population.
The data collected by these volunteers allows Maine Audubon to calculate a population estimate for southern Maine and track trends over time. To determine a population estimate for adult and chick numbers in the southern half of Maine (south of the 45th parallel, where enough lakes are covered by counters to produce a reliable estimate), Maine Audubon uses a survey protocol which has been in place since the count began in 1983. Based on our calculations, we estimate a 2025 population of 3174 adults and 568 chicks for the southern half of Maine. In comparison, in 1983, when the count first began, we estimated a population of 1417 adult loons and 176 loon chicks in the southern half of Maine, suggesting the population has more than doubled since then.
“We’re cautiously optimistic after seeing two years of growing chick numbers,” says Maine Audubon Wildlife Ecologist Tracy Hart. “But it will take several more years before we know if that is a real upward trend, or just two really good years.” Maine has the largest population of loons in the eastern United States, which makes the breeding success of loons here critical to the regional population. In comparison, there were 56 pairs counted in Massachusetts in 2024, about 100 pairs in Vermont, and 514 adults recorded on a subset of lakes in New Hampshire in that state’s 2025 census.
Expanding Northward
In addition to counting loons in the southern half of Maine, Loon Count volunteers look for loons in many northern lakes as well. However, because there is not enough coverage each year in the northern portion of Maine, we cannot confidently provide an estimate of the loon population for that part of the state. So Maine Audubon is still looking to expand coverage north of the 45th parallel. There are more than 6,000 lakes in Maine and many of them are in remote areas that are largely inaccessible.
Nonetheless, coverage is steadily expanding and this year, 121 northern lakes were counted, up from 96 in 2024. Of those, 26 were select remote and previously unsurveyed lakes, counted as part of a pilot “extended duration survey” program. Volunteers had seven days to scout, access, and conduct a one-hour survey of their assigned lake. Many of these lakes lack boat launches or easy cartop access, and some range far from the beaten path. We want to extend special thanks to these intrepid volunteers for reaching these remote sites!
Our northern tallies: Volunteers counting on 95 northern lakes on July 20 from 7 to 7:30 saw 489 adults and 36 chicks, and volunteers counting during the extended duration survey visited 26 lakes and saw 56 adults and 6 chicks. This number cannot be used as a direct comparison to the south but it can serve as a reference for changes in loon numbers on individual lakes over time.
Looking Ahead
We thank all volunteers who turned out to count loon adults and chicks this year, and hope to see more coverage in future years. If you are interested in learning more about participating in the loon count, including the extended duration survey of northern lakes, email conserve@maineaudubon.org.
We are also excited to share our new, interactive data dashboard, which can be found here (best viewed on a computer). This dashboard allows you to select a year and explore all previous population estimates, volunteer effort, and lakes counted from 1983 to this past July. You can also click on any lake on the map and see its individual count results for every year it was surveyed. We hope you take some time to explore it and that it may motivate you to join the count next year!
The Common Loon faces all kinds of threats—boat strikes, nest flooding, lead tackle, entanglement in fishing line, and predation—and yet, with the help of an ever-growing volunteer base, the population remains robust. “We really can’t thank our Loon Counters and Coordinators enough for the effort and passion they bring to the Loon Count and every other day they’re out watching loons,” says Community Science Manager Mady Eori. “Each volunteer allows us to better monitor and support the Common Loon population here in Maine and we are excited to see how the statewide coverage is expanding every year. We would love to see this trend continue, to count new lakes and bring in even more volunteers next year—especially people who are up for the challenge of an extended duration survey or are interested in taking on the role of being a Loon Count Coordinator.”
We also had even more volunteers this year involved in our other loon programs, providing education and outreach into their local communities around loon conservation. These efforts help lessen disturbance to nesting loons, reduce deaths from boat strikes and lead poisoning, and minimize boat wakes that can flood nearshore nests, all of which helps increase nesting success and survival. Maine loons are lucky to have so many incredible volunteers watching out for them.
For more information about the Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count, our Fish Lead Free program, the Maine Loon Project, or to volunteer, contact conserve@maineaudubon.org or visit maineaudubon.org/loons.
Top photo: Wayne Foote
