Looking for a Few Good Loon Counters

2023’s NY State Loon Census is Saturday, July 15, from 8 am to 9 am.

Get ready, ADKers — the New York Annual Loon Census is happening on July 15. Held every year on the 3rd Saturday of July from 8 am to 9 am, the Loon Census is your chance to capture a "snapshot" of our state's beautiful breeding loon population.

Protecting and honoring our loon population.

Since its inception in 2001, the Loon Census has been providing valuable information about the status and trends of New York's loon population. The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation is organizing this year’s event. Their easy-to-use website allows anyone to sign up to adopt a body of water to observe for just one hour on a Saturday and count the loons.

This is your chance to participate in this critical initiative for the Adirondacks. We’ve been under the spell of these beautiful creatures since first hearing their haunting call on a remote Adirondack lake. And then the excitement of first seeing a loon family gliding across our lake is something we’ll never forget.

Participating is easy.

The Loon Census is not just about counting loons; it's about coming together as a community to protect and appreciate our wildlife. Visit the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation website today to register for the census. They have an easy-to-use interactive map for volunteers to find a lake or pond that still needs a census taker (look for the green dots).

Our lake, for example, is already covered by a volunteer, but we signed up for a nearby pond that needed a census taker.

Taking the census is easy. Download the form here. And remember, it’s only for one hour on Saturday morning.

So mark your calendars, set your alarms, and get ready to join the New York Annual Loon Census. It's time to make a difference and have a little fun.