Protecting Our Most Iconic Residents
The haunting call of the Common Loon is more than just the soundtrack of summer on Desert Lake—it is part of what makes this place feel like home.
Whether you're enjoying an early morning paddle, watching the mist lift from the water, or listening from your dock at dusk, few sounds are as unmistakable, or as cherished, as the call of a loon.
That's why many residents may be surprised to learn that Ontario's official bird is facing a serious challenge.
Recent research has found that breeding success among Common Loons in Ontario has declined by more than 30% since the early 1990s, placing the species dangerously close to the minimum level needed to sustain healthy populations. One of the leading causes isn't habitat loss or predators: it's something much smaller.
A Hidden Threat Beneath the Surface
Lead fishing tackle has been identified as the number one cause of death in adult loons across Ontario and much of North America.
Loons naturally collect small pebbles from lake bottoms to help grind food in their gizzards. Unfortunately, lost lead sinkers and jigs closely resemble those pebbles. A loon may accidentally swallow a piece of lead tackle or even ingest it while swallowing a fish that still has fishing gear attached.
Once ingested, the lead is ground into fine particles and absorbed into the bird's bloodstream. Tragically, a single small lead split-shot sinker is enough to fatally poison a loon, often within just 2 to 4 weeks.
The Good News: A Simple Change Can Make a Big Difference
Fortunately, there's an easy way anglers can help.
Today, high-performance lead-free tackle, particularly tungsten, is widely available. In fact, tungsten offers several advantages:
- Higher density means a smaller profile for the same weight
- Better sensitivity for detecting subtle bites
- Faster sink rates
- Improved performance with sonar
- Most importantly, it poses no poisoning risk to loons.
Other safe alternatives include steel, tin, bismuth, ceramic, and glass.
Every Angler Can Help Protect Desert Lake
Each year, an estimated 180 metric tonnes of lead fishing tackle are lost in Ontario's lakes and rivers: the equivalent of roughly 20,000 car batteries entering our freshwater ecosystems.
While that number is sobering, the solution begins with individual choices.
By choosing lead-free tackle, properly disposing of old fishing gear, and retrieving snagged equipment whenever it is safe to do so, we can all play a small but meaningful role in protecting the wildlife that makes Desert Lake such a special place.
Learn More
If you're interested in learning more about the impact of lead fishing tackle and the benefits of switching to lead-free alternatives, visit FishLeadFree.ca.
Together, we can help ensure that future generations continue to wake up to one of Ontario's most iconic sounds—the unforgettable call of the loon.