By Susan Neule
To the uninitiated birder, one hawk species can look like another. The same with ducks. And even eagles can be mixed up with turkey vultures to the casual observer of the skies. But no one gets confused about the Common Loon, with its black head, red eyes, and its artistically patterned black and white body. Its unique yodeling-like call makes it even more recognizable. No other water bird vocalization is as melodious as the loon’s.
Encountering this stunning bird in person usually involves a trip to remote Canadian, Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont bodies of water. Lakes there with undeveloped shorelines, an abundance of small islands, and water courses large enough for the long runways loons need to accelerate into flight are ideal loon breeding grounds. But loons can now also be found in Massachusetts. Up until 1975 loons had been absent from Massachusetts lakes and ponds for a hundred years, but since then their numbers have steadily increased. Fifty-six breeding pairs were counted across the state in 2024. And two of these stunners are summering in Becket!
Loons breed and raise their young on freshwater, fish-abundant lakes which have undeveloped shorelines or islands for nesting. In fall they travel to warmer salt-water coasts and estuaries. The Massachusetts and Cape Cod shorelines are the winter homes for an abundance of loons. The newly hatched loons will stay at the shore for up to three years before heading to inland lakes to breed, often returning to where they were born.
The need for lakes not ringed by houses and without power boats on the water limits loons’ breeding-location choices in the densely populated state of Massachusetts. In Becket a pair of loons has been seen for the past two years on the Palmer Brook reservoir, a 125-acre lake surrounded by undeveloped land. Mass Audubon, the new owner of Palmer Brook, is thrilled to have two loons summering on its lake and is expected to make trails to lookout points to enable visitors to catch a glimpse of these creatures.
Finding nesting areas away from human development for the month-long gestation period, however, is only one part of the challenge for loons. Fox, bobcats, raccoons, snapping turtles, and eagles are fierce predators. Several conservation groups have been installing nesting rafts with protective covers after a loon pair has had three unsuccessful years of bringing chicks to maturity. The adult loons can evade most predators but not the chicks. Mercury and lead poisoning are also damaging the population numbers as are fluctuating water levels caused by global warming impacts on rain patterns. But, despite these challenges, loons have returned to Becket, and efforts are underway to ensure they breed successfully.
