News and Events

LPC at Work

In August, we bid farewell to our wonderful 2025 seasonal field staff. We thank all of our staff for their hard work on behalf of New Hampshire's loons this summer, and we wish them luck in all of their future endeavors. Please see the images below for some highlights from their field season.

We also hosted two volunteer appreciation potluck dinners in August to thank the hundreds of volunteers who helped us to monitor loon activity, float nest rafts, float signs to protect nesting loons, and kept an eye out for loons in distress (and, in some cases, helped us to rescue distressed loons). We are fortunate to work with such a diligent and caring network of volunteers! At these potluck dinners, LPC Senior Biologist/Executive Director, Harry Vogel, shared preliminary updates on how New Hampshire's loons fared in 2025. If you weren't able to attend in person, we have you covered—you can watch a recording of Harry's presentation here. Many thanks to all of our volunteers for their help this year!

2025 East Lakes Region Biologist, Marcus Cosentino, leads a guided paddling trip on Chocorua Lake.

2025 Outreach Intern, Caden Payne, hosts a table to teach members of the public about loons and their needs.

2025 Monadnock Region Biologist, Sydney Pine, weighs an inviable loon egg collected from a failed loon nest.

2025 At-Large Field Biologist, Allie Mallouk, places a rescued loon chick into a box for transport.

2025 West Lakes Region Biologist, Ollie Kyllonen, holds an adult loon during a night of banding while LPC Senior Biologist, John Cooley, places an aluminum band with a unique ID number on its leg.

2025 At-Large Field Biologist, Allie Mallouk, and Winnipesaukee Field Biologist, Rachel Ford, hold loon chicks for safekeeping during a night of banding.

In their limited down time, our 2025 field staff didn't stop looking for birds—here they are during a group trip to look for puffins off of the Maine coast!

About Loons: Feathers and Molting

Like all other birds, loons regularly replace their feathers through a process called molting. Loons have different types of feathers that help them perform several important functions. Flight feathers provide lift and thrust, helping loons move through the air. Downy feathers provide unrivaled insulation. Tail feathers act as a rudder, helping with steering during flight. Contour feathers create a watertight barrier, keeping loons dry and warm. All of these feathers have unique microstructures that allow them to perform their designated roles. Over time, feathers sustain wear and damage that limits their ability to function. While loons routinely perform behaviors like preening and bathing to help keep their feathers in good condition, damage and wear is inevitable. Because feathers are made of keratin and are non-living, they cannot be repaired and must be replaced entirely.



In addition to replacing worn or damaged feathers, molting also facilitates changes in coloration, which can be important for attracting mates and may also help provide camouflage.

Regular preening and bathing helps to keep feathers in good condition in the short term but cannot prevent the inevitable wear and tear. Photo courtesy of Brian Reilly.

 Loons follow what is known as a “simple alternate” molting strategy, which means that adults have two different plumages (and undergo two separate molts) each year. Between February and April, when they are on their wintering grounds, adult loons undergo the “prealternate” molt. This molt produces the familiar black and white plumage that we see on our lakes during the summer, known as the “alternate” plumage (also called the “breeding” plumage). During this molt, the head, body, and tail feathers are replaced, but the flight feathers are not. In addition to replacing worn feathers, the striking black and white plumage produced during the prealternate molt signals that a loon is reproductively mature, helping it attract a mate during the breeding season.

The black-and-white alternate plumage, formed on the wintering grounds between February and April, is a signal of reproductive maturity and likely plays a role in attracting a mate. Photo courtesy of Kittie Wilson.

In the fall, loons molt into their gray-and-white “basic” plumage (also called “winter” plumage). This is known as the “prebasic” molt. During this molt, all of a loon’s feathers (including the flight feathers) are replaced. The prebasic molt occurs in two stages: the head, body, and tail feathers are replaced between August and November. The molt then pauses so that loons can migrate to their wintering grounds, where it resumes with the replacement of the flight feathers, usually between January and March. In some individuals, this replacement of flight feathers may overlap with the start of the prealternate molt.

The prebasic molt starts with the feathers around the bill before proceeding rearward across the body. Notice in the second photo that the front half of the loon is in basic plumage while the rear half is still in the black and white alternate plumage. Photos courtesy of Kittie Wilson.

There are many complex and interacting factors that regulate the timing of the molt, some of which are better understood than others. These include external factors, like seasonal changes in day length and temperature, which can influence hormone levels that help control feather growth. Some hormones increase the metabolic activity of feather-forming cells, while others inhibit the start of molt. Loons that do not have chicks have been observed to start their prebasic molt earlier than those that have chicks, sometimes as early as late-July. Research in birds has suggested that elevated levels of estrogen and testosterone can inhibit the start of molting. Unsuccessful breeders tend to reduce their levels of these hormones earlier, which could help to explain why loons that do not have chicks have been observed molting earlier.  Molt timing can also be influenced by a loon’s overall condition. Birds in poor health or at a lower body weight may take longer to replace their feathers than those that are in better condition.

An adult loon in basic (aka "winter") plumage. Photo courtesy of Reigh Higgins.

September is the time of year that you may start to notice the loons molting on your local lakes. As you see this change occurring, we encourage you to take a moment to observe and appreciate this critically important (and energetically demanding) process, which will help your loons stay warm and waterproof over the coming winter.

Take a chance to win one of the four great prizes listed above, and support our work in the process! You can purchase raffle tickets online here or by calling (603)476-5666. Thank you for your support!

This month, the Advice from a Loon Mug is on sale for 15% off in our gift shop! This 15 oz mug is dishwasher and microwave safe . Shop online or visit us in person at The Loon Center to take advantage of this deal! All proceeds from our store are used to fund our important work for loons in New Hampshire. Thank you for your support!

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Loon Preservation Committee | 603-476-LOON (5666) | www.loon.org