FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) Maine Audubon says the results of its annual loon count last year showed a population that appears to be holding steady.
Maine has the largest common loon population in the eastern U.S. The bird’s range has shrunk in the United States, and it faces threats such as environmental pollution.
Audubon says the number of adult loons estimated for 2017 is “virtually unchanged” from the previous two years at about 2,800. The group says there are also about 450 loon chicks, and the estimated number of chicks has climbed in three consecutive years.
Audubon cautions that it’s typical to see chick counts go up in three or four year cycles.
The society collects data about loons every July with a loon count that relies on volunteers. More than 1,000 participate annually.
