Maine’s loon population is healthy, with adult loons in the southern part of the state continuing to trend upward, Maine Audubon said.

The group announced the results of its 41st annual loon count Thursday, recording an increase in adult loons, chicks and human volunteers to count them all since 2023.

“We expect some fluctuations year to year, but the numbers indicate a healthy loon population, with a slowly increasing adult population and relatively stable chick numbers,” Sally Stockwell, director of conservation, said in a statement.

The count found an estimated 3,146 adult common loons and 420 chicks in the southern half of Maine (below the 45th parallel). That’s more than twice as many as the 1,417 adults and 176 chicks found during the first count in 1983.

In northern Maine, 353 volunteers, covering 96 lakes, spotted 509 adults and 50 chicks. But there was not enough coverage in that part of the state to provide an accurate estimate of the overall population, Maine Audubon said.

The loon count takes place annually on the third Saturday in July – July 20 this year – from 7 to 7:30 a.m. This year, 1,624 volunteers turned out across 407 lakes; in comparison, 1,503 people covered 374 lakes in 2023.

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Ethan Daly, loon count data coordinator, said an increasing number of Mainers are “looking out for loons,” in a statement Thursday.

“Loons are something Mainers can appreciate and unite behind,” Daly said. “More people are educating their neighbors, more people are involved in our loon restoration program, more people are getting rid of lead tackle, and more people are considering how shoreline management can impact freshwater ecosystems.”

Maine Audubon said the common loon faces a wide range of threats, including boat strikes, predators and fishing gear.

In September, Maine banned the sale of painted lead fishing jigs under 2.5 inches or weighing less than 1 ounce. Their use will become illegal in 2026.

“Lead poisoning has long been one of the leading causes of death for adult loons in Maine. Common Loons can ingest lost or discarded lead fishing tackle when it sinks to the bottom of a lake or pond, causing illness and death,” Maine Audubon said in a statement.

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