Why Study Loons?

BRI’s Loon Program is dedicated to assessing current and emerging threats to loons, and to collaborating with the many agencies and organizations that work to conserve loon populations across the Northern Hemisphere. Our research and conservation projects contribute to understanding basic ecology and strive to unravel the impacts of ecological stressors and how they can be lessened.

The program is also actively involved in assisting state and federal conservation and management agencies in monitoring efforts that include the capture, banding, sampling, and tracking of individual loons and their populations. We publish our findings through reports, management plans, and communications pieces to inform decision makers and the general public.

Program Director:

Micah Miller, Ph.D.

Contributing Staff:

Have You Seen a Banded Loon?

Researchers from several different organizations, including BRI, have marked Common Loons throughout North America with colored leg bands. Color-marking and resighting of loons allows us to monitor breeding individuals, calculate annual return rates to territories, and determine stability of breeding populations. Marking and resighting efforts are thus an essential tool for loon conservation.

If you have encountered a color-banded loon — either found a dead one, or seen a live one — then you can contribute to the loon conservation effort by submitting the form below. Thank you for your careful responses, and for your help in monitoring this iconic species!

If you’ve seen a banded loon, please fill out this form.

Visit the USGS banding center here.