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 Maine’s loon population.
The 41st Annual Loon Count will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2024. 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, 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. As we prepare for the 40th Annual Loon Count in 2023, we wanted to share answers to some of the most frequently asked questions, so we present: Your Loon Questions Answered!
The 40th Annual Loon Count took place on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
News from the 2023 count:
- Join Maine Audubon’s 40th annual loon count on July 15
- Some social media highlights on our Instagram page
News from the 2022 count:
Results of the Loon Count
Following the 2022 count, Maine Audubon estimated a population of 3,057 adult Common Loons and 298 chicks for the southern half of Maine. (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.)
Final results of the 2022 Loon Count
For more than 39 years, community scientists have helped us collect invaluable data to chart the status of our loon population over time. Open this interactive map to review Loon Count results on lakes across Maine from 1983 through 2022.
