Summary of Detection Data for Breeding Common Loons in North-central Minnesota (2021-2022) (ver. 1.1, August 2024)

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, and Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota to restore common loons lost to the spill. In 2020–21, study lakes in an eight-county region in north-central Minnesota were identified to focus project activities. In 2021 and 2022, surveys were conducted on these lakes to monitor common loon territory occupancy, nest success, and chick survival. This dataset includes a summary of total number of artificial nesting platforms (ANP), total number of ANP and natural nests, ANP and natural nest success, total number of chicks hatched, and number of chicks that survived to August surveys for 132 territories across 55 lakes within the eight-county study area. We intend to present formal analyses of these and subsequently-collected data after the completion of this multi-year study.

First release: 2023
Revised: August 2024 (ver. 1.1)