PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 5, 2023
The population of a beloved Maine bird, the common loon, dipped for the second straight year, but wildlife surveyors said they are heartened by an increased number of the bird’s chicks. Maine has the largest number of common loons in the eastern U.S., and the state is critical to the species’ breeding population. The loons are listed as endangered or threatened in some other New England states and beyond. Maine Audubon, which conducts a loon count every year, said Monday it projects a population of 2,892 of the birds based on this year’s results. That is down slightly from a year ago and about 16% lower than the 2021 total. However, Maine Audubon’s biologists said they aren’t worried, in part because the number of loon chicks climbed from 298 in 2022 to 411 this year.