The best source of information on the population status of Common Loon is the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Although the northernmost portion of its range is poorly covered, trends have high precision and overall reliability of the BBS is considered high. The national BBS trend shows a moderate long-term increase in abundance relative to the early 1970s, despite a gradual decline since around 2010. This trend is reflected in the Maritimes and the western boreal forest, but most other regions have shown little long-term change, and there has been a moderate decline along the Pacific coast. The continental Christmas Bird Count trend also shows a long-term moderate increase. However, the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey indicates a decline in reproductive output in different regions across southern Canada (Bianchini et al., 2021, Bianchini et al., 2020) and nationally (Tozer et al., 2013), which is consistent with the short-term decline apparent in nearly all Bird Conservation Regions and nationally based on BBS.

The goal for Common Loon is to remain at or above its recent population level, based on the Breeding Bird Survey. Trend data show that Common Loon is currently within its goal range.