![]() Since then, Ospreys have returned to many large water bodies. The dwindling Osprey population helped trigger research into problems with DDT, resulting in its ban in the United States in 1972. Osprey populations declined to near-extinction in the Lower 48 states after World War II as a consequence of exposure to DDT-based pesticides. And although many hawk species can be touchy-even dangerous-to work with, Ospreys make good subjects: they tolerate human activity well and they actually seek out human-made structures to use as nest platforms. Young Ospreys eat only fish their parents catch within a few miles of the nest, so these young birds reflect the condition of the local fish population. They have been monitoring about 200 Osprey nests in western Montana.īecause of their top position in the food web, Ospreys are useful indicators of local environmental conditions. Erick Greene started the Montana Osprey Project in 2007. In collaboration with Rob Domenech (Director of the Raptor View Research Institute), Dr. These Ospreys are an important part of a much larger project focusing on the health of aquatic systems and Osprey populations in western Montana. Heiko Langner and Erick Greene of the University of Montana. ![]() Getting the new nest platform set up, and installing and running to high resolution camera for this feed for you to enjoy has been a large effort involving many groups: Riverside Health Care Center, Karen Wagner, Kate Davis and Raptors of the Rockies, Northwestern Energy, Dave Taylor Roofing Company, and Drs. In 2007, the current nest platform was erected to provide a safer place for the Ospreys to nest. This was dangerous, since the Ospreys could have been electrocuted, causing fires and power blackouts. The nest used to be on a power pole about 200 feet west of where it is now. Later on, when the chicks no longer require her protection and their appetite for fish increases, she will leave the nest and go fishing. After the eggs hatch, the male continues to bring fish to the nest the female exclusively broods the young and dissects their meals for about a month after hatching. The female sits for the majority of the time (including throughout the night) while the male provisions her with fish. Most Osprey pairs are monogamous, staying paired across seasons and beginning nesting soon after each returns from a long migration. Ospreys can live up to 25 years, and they typically lay 1–4 eggs in a clutch. Adult Ospreys usually weigh 3–4 pounds, and they can carry prey up to 50 percent of their own weight. They use their 6–7 foot wingspans to soar above the water, looking for fish, then diving as deep as 3 feet for shallow-swimming prey. Ospreys are consummate fishing birds, and this pair fishes primarily from the Clark Fork River and nearby Rattlesnake Creek.
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