Although the red-throated loon is not a globally threatened species, as it has a large population and a significant range, there are populations which appear to be declining.
The red-throated loon is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies;[REF] in the Americas, it is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 [REF].