This story was originally produced by the Laconia Daily Sun. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
Loon chicks have been spotted all over the Lakes Region as of late, but according to the preliminary results of the 2025 New Hampshire Loon Census, numbers are down statewide.
While the total number of loons appears strong at 541, with an additional 109 loon chicks, the picture paints a decrease compared to years prior, because each individual loon can be considered part of a mating pair, plus some lone loon extras.
“There were 541 adult loons — that comes out to 270 pairs — and that’s far under what we expect our population to be,” said Caroline Hughes, outreach biologist for the Loon Preservation Committee. “It’s sort of hard to get the full picture of the season for the loons from the census alone.”
The results from the 2024 census yielded 359 loon pairs and 100 “or so” unpaired loons, showing a preliminary decrease of 89 pairs.
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Zoey Knox/NHPROne man spends his summers making sure viewers across the world can watch two pairs of loons on Lake Winnipesaukee as they mate, lay eggs and tend to their nests. -
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It’s important to note that during the designated loon census day, not all New Hampshire lakes are included in the survey. This year, 135 of the state’s 350 lakes were monitored as part of the efforts, compared to last year’s 115.
“There was a 20-plus increase in lake coverage,” said Hughes. “It’s a really great year for participation, and we’d love to have more people involved in this work.”
LPC leaders seasonally survey the state’s hundreds of lakes each year, from late May to mid-August, with the task of helping New Hampshire’s loons repopulate.
“It helps us get a good idea of the loon activity that is somewhat easy to miss if you’re not doing it all at once,” Hughes said.
According to the committee's website, loon.org, “lead poisoning resulting from the ingestion of lead fishing tackle is the leading cause of documented Common Loon mortality in New Hampshire, accounting for 159 (42%) of documented adult loon deaths since 1989,” making their endeavor an important one.
A major point of pride for LPC staff this year was the volunteer turnout, which increased significantly from last year.
“We’re really thrilled to have 566 volunteers this year,” Hughes said. “In recent years, we’ve averaged 450 to 475 a year, so it’s a huge jump this year.”
Volunteers are tasked with logging observations for a 1-hour stretch, recording the time of loon observation, number of adults, chicks, immatures, and their locations or direction. Even if no loons are observed, the results are still biologically important.
A better understanding of the final census numbers will be revealed at 7 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 21, following the LPC annual meeting. A volunteer potluck will be held at 5 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Those interested in attending can head to the Loon Center at the north shore of Lake Winnipesaukee on the Frederick and Paula Anna Markus Wildlife Sanctuary.
As well as presenting on the final census numbers, Senior Biologist and Executive Director Harry Vogel will offer information on trends in New Hampshire’s 2025 loon breeding season. A question and answer session will also be held.
The 2026 New Hampshire Loon Census will take place on Saturday, July 18, and volunteers are always needed.
“It’s really cool to see nearly 600 people get involved on this single-day event, and we’re really grateful,” Hughes said. “If people wanted to be involved in our work outside of the census, then they can always send us an email at volunteers@loon.org.”
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
