The Loon Project focuses on two main issues: 1) how young animals acquire a territory, which they must have to breed, and 2) how older, established breeders hold onto their territories for as long as possible. In the course of exploring these two central issues, we have probed other areas, such as the impact of nesting platforms on reproductive success of loons [Piper et al., 2002], genetic parentage of loon chicks [Piper, Evers et al., 1997], changes in the territorial yodels of males [Walcott et al., 2006], and local movements of breeding and non-breeding loons [Piper, Paruk et al. 1997].

For more information, go to The Loon Project Web Site.