Injured loon rescued from Cranberry Highway

Feb 1, 2022

The Massachusetts Environmental Police rescued an injured loon from Cranberry Highway on Friday morning, Jan. 28.

According to the agency, the bird was obstructing the flow of traffic. An officer safely recovered the bird from the road, and discovered that the bird’s wing was injured. The bird was brought to a wildlife treatment center. 

The agency explained that the common loon is a protected species and, contrary to its name, is endangered in some regions. Massachusetts considers it a species of special concern. The bird had been absent from the state for a period of about 100 years, reappearing in the mid-1970s. 

According to Cornell’s AllAboutBirds.org, common loons reproduce near freshwater inland lakes, and spend their winters along the coast. The Massachusetts Environmental Police noted that their spring and fall migrations generally bring loons near the Cape Cod Canal and to the Cape.