Where have all the loons gone?
They might be known as common loons, but the black and white birds are becoming an increasingly rare sight in Wyoming, and researchers aren't sure why, according to an Associated Press report.
The Biodiversity Research Institute of Maine and state and federal agencies have been conducting a five-year study of Wyoming's loon population, research that is now in its second year, the AP reported via the Casper Star-Tribune.
Well-known throughout New England, the common loon is featured on Maine license plates and is also the state bird of Minnesota, according to WyoFile. But in Wyoming, where it is the rarest nesting bird, the loon doesn't get a lot of attention.
"Maybe its overshadowed by all the other great animals in Wyoming--like grizzly bears and bison and things you don't see elsewhere," said David Evers, executive director of the Biodiversity Research Institute based in Gorham, Maine, as quoted by WyoFile.
Evers and a team of researchers are working to protect the dwindling loon population with funding from a $6.5 million grant from the Ricketts Conservation Foundation.
Just 14 pairs of loons are known to be living in Wyoming's northwest corner, while the next closest population is in Montana nesting 220 miles away.
The common loon is vital as a "bioindicator species" since shifts in loon population often reflect changes in the quality of nearby water, WyoFile reported.
"If your loon population is steady, I think that means our lakes are in good order," Evers said.
Evers has been studying the birds for three years, and researchers estimate that the population has dropped from 24 pairs in the 1990s. The goal is to bring the population up to 25 to 30 pairs, Evers said.
Besides tracking the loon population, the five-year study is examining potential threats for the birds, including boaters, fishermen and hikers as well as a dearth of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, a fish that is part of their food supply.
The loon has been under threat in Wisconsin as well, where biting flies have driven many of the birds to abandon their nests and eggs.
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