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As I write, loons are claiming their nesting territories and another loon year begins. Montana’s common loon population is currently “stable” chugging along as a relatively level line that may be slightly increasing. That was not the case when the Montana Loon Study began in 1982 to determine basic biological information about these birds, when they didn’t seem to be reproducing successfully. I joined the well-developed, albeit small, loon team in 1985. My research determined that human recreational activities (especially spring fishing...
This past year has given us an even greater appreciation for our federal and state wildlife biologists and their interns as well as all the volunteers that kept looking out for loons and their habitats in the midst of difficult times and conditions. Thank you just doesn't seem enough but THANK YOU! We hope you have a wonderful year of getting outside and appreciating life in all its diverse forms and thank you for all you do for loons and their neighbors. One person we would specifically like to...
Right on time, true to the mystery of the migration cycle - the loons show up and without our bidding (but with the help of our floating signs), take over their territories, build nests, fight off intruders, lay eggs and raise chicks. The average number of chicks in Montana (including Glacier National Park) has recently hovered between 40-50 chicks a year. But, our loons outdid themselves last year by raising an unheard of 75 chicks!!! (We didn't believe the reports at first and had to go back...
