Making Massachusetts Home to Loons, Once Again

You may find it surprising that Common Loons are a native species to Massachusetts being that they are pretty uncommon to come across in most parts of the state. Even though there are plentiful, more than suitable habitats for loon populations to prosper in the state, a variety of harmful human activities such as shoreline development and pollution, have driven them away. Following the 2003 Bouchard oil spill in Buzzards Bay, officials delegated millions of dollars to go towards loon restoration efforts.

Biologists from the Maine-based nonprofit, Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), pioneered methods for Loon translocation, and found that in order for a loon to recognize a lake as ‘home’, it must fledge from that area. Therefore, by capturing young loon chicks (pre-fledge age), and translocating them to lakes in Massachusetts, they will return there to breed. A pilot project ran from 2015-2017 where 24 chicks were captured from Maine and upstate New York and released in southeastern Massachusetts. Luckily, this proved to be a success and allowed BRI to continue their efforts in restoring the Massachusetts loon population.

This past summer, BRI’s biologists, along with CWS wildlife veterinarian Tristan Burgess, were able to capture 12 chicks from Maine and relocate them to lakes in Massachusetts. The first successful breeding record from a previously translocated chick during the pilot project occurred this spring, giving hope for the impact this project will have on the regrowth of the loon population. By 2022, BRI’s biologists plan to release up to 60 more loons in Massachusetts to breed, calling it home once again.

Read more about it through Boston’s NPR News Station

Listen on Maine Public Radio

More information about BRI’s Loon Program and Wildlife Health Program