"Maine is home to a few thousand of the distinctive black-and-white waterbirds - the East Coast's largest loon population - and conservationists said efforts to protect them from threats helped grow the population. An annual count of common loons found more adults and chicks this year than last, Maine Audubon said this week. The group said it estimated a population for the southern half of Maine of 3,174 adult loons and 568 chicks."
""We're cautiously optimistic after seeing two years of growing chick numbers," said Maine Audubon wildlife ecologist Tracy Hart. "But it will take several more years before we know if that is a real upward trend, or just two really good years." Maine lawmakers have attempted to grow the population of the loons with bans on lead fishing tackle that the birds sometimes accidentally swallow. Laws that limit boat speeds have also helped because they prevent boat wakes from washing out nests, conservation groups say."
Maine hosts the East Coast's largest loon population, with an estimated 3,174 adult loons and 568 chicks in the southern half. The current count is more than double the number recorded in 1983, and adult numbers have risen 13% compared with a decade ago. Two consecutive years of higher chick counts generate cautious optimism, but several more years are required to confirm a sustained upward trend. Conservation measures such as bans on lead fishing tackle and boat speed limits have reduced key threats and helped improve nesting success.
Read at Boston.com
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