Loon and Grebe Program

The Loon and Grebe Program is our largest and most comprehensive research program. It is part of the International Center for Loon Conservation. Biodiversity Research Institute biologists have now banded over 3,000 Common Loons across 13 states and four Canadian provinces while studying their toxin levels, demographics, behavior, and genetic ecology. New efforts focus on the Yellow-billed Loon, Red-throated Loon, Western Grebe, and Red-necked Grebe.

Acting Program Director

Kate Taylor

207.839.7600, ext. 112

Program Goals

Collaborate with state, federal and international governmental agencies to ensure sustainable populations of all loon and grebe species
Determine the contaminant levels and potential effects on populations of loons and grebes
Implement the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Status Assessment and Conservation Plan for Common Loon in North America
Network with the International Center for Loon Conservation

Current BRI Projects

Rangeley Lakes Demographic Study of the Common Loon
North American Mercury Monitoring Effort for the Common Loon
North Slope Demographic and Contaminant Study for the Yellow-billed Loon
Oil Spill Restoration Project in Downeast Maine
Restoration Efforts for the Common Loon
Development of a continental genetic profile for the Common Loon

Geographic Focus

Maine and New England
The Adirondack Park, New York
Rocky Mountains
Eastern Canada
The Great Lakes Region
California and the Pacific Northwest
Alaska

Recent Reports, Papers and Presentations

DeSorbo, C. R., J. Fair, K. Taylor, W. Hanson, D. C. Evers, H. S Vogel, and J. H. Cooley Jr. 2008. Guidelines for constructing and deploying common loon nesting rafts. Northeastern Naturalist 15:75-86.
DeSorbo, C.R., Taylor, K.M., Kramar, D.E., Fair, J., Cooley Jr, J.H., Evers, D.C., Hanson, W., Vogel, H.S., Atwood, J.L. 2007. Reproductive advantages of common loons using rafts. Journal of Wildlife Management 71, 4. pp 1206-1213. pdf
Evers, D.C., Savoy, L.J., DeSorbo, C.R., Yates, D.E., Hanson, W., Taylor, K.M., Siegel, L.S., Cooley Jr, J.H., Bank, M.S., Major, A., Munney, K., Mower, B.F., Vogel, H.S., Schoch, N., Pokras, M., Goodale, M.W., Fair, J. 2008. Adverse effects from environmental mercury loads on breeding common loons. Ecotoxicology 17(2):69-81 pdf
Evers, D. C. 2007. Status assessment and conservation plan for the Common Loon (Gavia immer) in North America. BRI Report 2007-20. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, MA. pdf
Taylor, K., D. Yates, D., D.C. Evers, M. Berry, W. MacCabe, J. Trask, and W. Goodale. 2007. Monitoring of Breeding Common Loons: Downeast Lakes Land Trust - 2006. Report BRI 2007-08. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. pdf
Yates, D., D.C. Evers, W. Goodale, and W. MacCabe. 2005. Monitoring of breeding Common Loons: West Branch of the Penobscot River area - 2004. Report BRI 2005-10. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. 27 pp. pdf
Yates, D., L. Savoy, D. Evers, C. DeSorbo, W. Goodale, L. Attix, A. Paul, C. Niven, E. Saxson, and M. Nelson. 2005. Documentation of the reproductive success of the Common Loon on selected lakes in the Rangeley Lakes and Eagle Lake Regions in 2004. Report BRI 2005-06 submitted to the New England Forestry Foundation. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. 60pp. pdf
Evers, D. C., O. P. Lane, L. Savoy and W. Goodale. 2004. Assessing the impacts of methylmercury on piscivorous wildlife using a wildlife criterion value based on the Common Loon, 1998-2003. Report BRI 2004-05 submitted to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. pdf
Savoy, L. 2004. Assessment of Lake Habitat and Management Strategies of Breeding Common Loons in the Idaho Panhandle. Report BRI 2004-14 BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. 31pp. pdf
Savoy, L. 2004. Massachusetts 2003 Common Loon population survey and management report: A summary of the reproductive success and potential impacts of methylmercury on the Common Loon in Massachusetts, 1975-2003. Report BRI 2004-01 BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. 34pp. pdf
Savoy, L. 2004. Summary of capture & banding efforts and methylmercury exposure to Montana's breeding Common Loon population. Report BRI 2004-08 BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. 20pp. pdf
Lane, O.P. and D.C. Evers. 2003. North American Common Loon biomonitoring program, Quebec, Canada, 1997-2001 Comprehensive report. Report BRI 2003-01. BioDiversity Research Institute, Falmouth, Maine. pdf
Evers, D. 2002. Aspects of hydrological impacts on the Common Loon at Lake Umbagog, BRI Report 2002-09 submitted to U.S Fish & Wildlife Service. Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. pdf
Evers, D. C., L. Attix, C. Howard, G. Christian, L. Savoy, and W. Goodale. 2002. Mitigating the loss of Common Loons from a marine oil spill: Identification of breeding habitat in Maine. Report BRI 2002-01 submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Gulf of Maine Office. BioDiversity Research Institute, Falmouth, Maine. pdf
Evers, D. C. 2001. Assessing the potential impacts of methylmercury on the Common Loon in southern New Hampshire. Report BRI 2001-04, BioDiversity Research Institute, Falmouth, Maine. pdf
Kaplan, J.D., Tischler, K.B., 2000. Mercury Exposure in the Common Loon (Gavia immer) at Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. Report BRI, submitted to Jack G. Oelfke Branch Chief, Natural Resource Management Isle Royale National Park. Biodiversity Research Institute, Freeport, Maine. pdf
Paruk, J.D., McCormick, D. and Evers, D.C., 2000. Primer on Popula tion Dynamics of Common Loons (Gavia immer) in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan. Report BRI 2000 submitted to The North American Loon Fund. Biodiversity Research Institute, Yarmouth, Maine. pdf

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