FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) _ Maine bird lovers who have counted one of the state’s most beloved birds for three-and-a-half decades are getting ready to do it again.

The Maine Loon Count is taking place on July 21. It’s the 35th anniversary of the count, which seeks to quantify the number of mature and young loons in the southern part of the state.

Maine Audubon promotes the annual count. The group says more than 1,400 volunteers are going to participate this year, and more than 50 of them have counted loons for 25 or more years.

Last year’s loon count found 2,817 adult loons and 453 chicks. The count typically found closer to 1,500 adult loons when it first started in the 1980s.