Get answers about wild ospreys! Welcome to the Osprey FAQ for the Sandpoint Osprey Cam, a project of Sandpoint Online and the City of Sandpoint. Browse below for an FAQ prepared by our consulting raptor biologist, Janie Fink Veltkamp; scroll down the page to read questions submitted by visitors, with answers from Janie as well as our Nestwatcher Robin Werner. Thanks also to sponsor Avista.
Want to watch our wild ospreys? Click to the Sandpoint Ospreys live web cam »
Janie Fink Veltkamp, executive director of Birds of Prey Northwest, is the Sandpoint osprey cam’s consulting biologist. Based in St. Maries, Idaho, BOPNW promotes raptor conservation through educational programs with live birds of prey. It also provides medical treatment and rehabilitation to injured raptors with the goal of returning them to the wild. Janie provides answers here to common questions. Questions below from site visitors are answered or facilitated by our Nestwatcher Robin Werner.
How is a nest cam like this helpful to conservation and education efforts?
The camera will help viewers understand all the complexities of nest building, breeding, and raising young ospreys. Mated for life, these raptors will need to cooperate to hatch their young, feed them as they grow, and protect them from the elements until they leave the nest. Fish eating birds of prey such as the osprey serve as bioindicators, barometers to the ecology around them. Conservation of their habitat helps humans too. This is an opportunity to view into the life of an osprey family that promises to delight!
Birds of Prey Northwest biologist Jane Fink with a rehabilitated osprey.
Does the same osprey pair come back to the same nest each year?
Ospreys have a high nest-site fidelity and return to previously existing nest structures each year. You are likely seeing the same pair if you observe two birds early in the season at this nest site. The perils are many as the ospreys return from their wintering grounds – sometimes as far south as South America! Should its mate not return, the male will likely attract another mate. Mortality factors for the osprey include electrocution, illegal shooting and vehicle collision.
Due to the new nesting platform, the osprey are coming back to just a few sticks, compared to the big nest they had last year. What kind of behavior should we watch for to start?
Initially after the pair return, you will likely see, the male particularly, bringing sticks to the nest and beginning to refurbish the nest. They will both be present often thereafter as mating and egg laying commence.
What are some of the unusual characteristics of ospreys?
Ospreys are unique birds of prey in that they are the only raptor to eat exclusively fish. They are found on five continents worldwide and four subspecies exist. In North Idaho we have one of the largest osprey breeding populations west of the Rockies, thanks to our shallow lakes and ample fishing opportunities.
How are ospreys especially adapted for hunting fish?
Ospreys are the consummate fishermen, hence their nickname “fish hawk” – though officially their Latin name is Pandion haliaetus. Several adaptations allow for their expert fishing skills, including a reversible outer toe for grabbing fish, special pads on the feet for holding on to slippery fish, dislocatable shoulder joints, underwater vision, a fleshy nostril that closes and the ability to dive into the water at high speeds after fish- feet first. Their special feathers are good at shedding water quickly.
How can you distinguish between the males and females?
As with all birds of prey, the females are often larger than the males – some females have wingspans approaching five feet, and weigh up to four pounds; males weigh in at two pounds. They have a characteristic black stripe through the eye and have charcoal and white feathers. In youth the eye is orange, in adulthood it becomes yellow. Ospreys mature after two years of age. Ospreys may nest atop man-made structures and place their large stick nests near human activities. These raptors have a high nest fidelity and return after long southerly migrations to the very nest from the previous year. Ospreys mate for life and are devoted parents. Young are full grown at six weeks and leave the nest at about eight to ten weeks of age taking their first flights. Like all raptors, osprey have a high mortality rate in the first year of life. Ospreys are migratory and travel long distances south – as far as Central and South America, where they over winter until spring.
Are there healthy populations of osprey?
Historically the osprey was endangered due to use of DDT, a pesticide applied across North America that ended up in the food chain. Osprey, bald eagles and peregrine falcons were the most affected species of raptors, and by the early 1970s DDT was banned as the populations of these species began to plummet to perilously low numbers. Thanks to protective laws, banning the use of DDT and reintroduction efforts the osprey populations have now recovered and the osprey has been removed from the Endangered Species List!
Learn more about ospreys, and many other species of raptors at BirdsOfPreyNorthwest.org»
I have been watching the Boulder Fairground Osprey Cam and have several osprey questions! Both parents are standing on the nest, over a chick(s) with their wings pulled away from their bodies. Are they shading the nest from the sun? Cooling themselves off?
After a chick hatched a few days ago, it appeared the mother ate something from shell, then she moved it to the edge of the nest.
I’ve never seen the chick get fed. Do the parents regurgitate the food for chicks? Are baby osprey called chicks?
Watching the nest is an enthralling experience. I have YouTube on my smart tv and watchIng it on a large screen really enhances the experience.
Hi Donna – The parents could be protecting their nest from threats if they are facing away from the osprey chicks. If they are facing the nest cup with chicks in the cup, they could be cooling themselves or shading the chicks. Often times, after a chick hatches, there is leftovers in the egg and the female will eat this. Once a chick hatches it will be okay for a bit before it has to eat, but they can eat right after they hatch. Mostly the females feed the chicks and they rip fish apart and feed it to the chicks. Ospreys are raptors and do not regurgitate to feed their young. They offer tiny bits, for the most part, when they are newly hatched and progress to larger size pieces as the chicks grown. There is no specific name for a baby osprey. The word “chick” is a generic term for a baby bird, and is more readily understood than the rather obscure word “eyass.” A chick that is covered in downy feathers and is completely dependent on its parents is called a nestling. When they fly for the first time, away from the nest, they are called fledglings and then juveniles. It is so educational and amazing to watch ospreys take care of their young and to watch the progress of the chicks as they grow and eventually migrate.
I am looking for information about the natural distances between osprey nests around Flathead Lake, Montana. We have a neighbor who has a tall snag about 150 feet back from the water that has a well-established osprey nest in it. Year after year, has been a home for breeding osprey. Recently, we placed a nesting platform in the top of our pine tree which sits out on a bluff about 40 feet above the water. This pine tree has had nests in it before (not sure if they were for eagles or osprey), but the last nest was blown out by a storm a couple of years ago and the top of the tree was split. An arborist came and recommended cutting the split top off and placing a nesting platform on it.
My neighbor is concerned that the ospreys on her property will fight with any ospreys that may come to create a nest on our platform. (I’m guessing our platform and the nest on her property are about 800 feet apart as the crow flies.) She is urging us to learn more about the osprey territories before deciding to keep the platform permanently. She does not want the nesting ospreys in her snag to be killed or shooed away. Her snag faces a bay and our platform is around the corner facing the open water.
Can you help us understand if it is inviting problems by having our nesting platform in a lot next to another with a nest?
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Hi Beverly-While I’m sure most wildlife would prefer not to have ‘others’ close by, ospreys do tend to co-exist with other ospreys. At the Memorial Field nest in Sandpoint there were 2 platforms. They were less than a football field length apart, which is 360 feet, and 2 osprey pairs nested in both sights for several years. Although ospreys protect their territory or air space, I don’t think they would kill other ospreys, they all have to fish in the same area and surely there are other osprey nests around. Eagles are more of a threat.
Osprey left nest with eggs? Any reason? She has not returned in 4-days.
Hi Cas – It’s possible the eggs are not fertile or were damaged and will not hatch and the ospreys tend to know this. Hopefully nothing has happened to the female.
We live on the bay in South Jersey. There are many osprey in the area. This morning when I came outside there was a dead baby osprey on our step (it was about 6”, too young to be flying). It was in perfect shape, except it’s head was gone. What Or who could have caused This?
Hi Judy – Sounds like either the young osprey could have fallen out of the nest and maybe was picked up by a raccoon, cat, dog, or it could have been predated on the nest by an owl or eagle. It is also possible that it died in the nest and was removed and then some animal got ahold of it.
While temporarily living in Dover Bay, I’ve watched a pair of osprey build a nest and mate, then remain at the site for several weeks. Now they have seemingly abandoned the nest though it’s on an inlet to the lake. Can you tell me why?
Thanks very much, Alexis
Hi Alexis – Ospreys use their nests for eggs and then for the chicks until they fledge. If there are no eggs or chicks they are not around their nests much. Chances are that either their eggs were not fertile or we somehow predated; meaning some type of predator took or damaged the eggs. Also, sadly, something could have happened to one of the adults. Hopefully next spring they both will return and have a successful season.
A local osprey nesting tree was vandalised and toppled. Will they rebuild nearby ? Is it too late to erect a nesting platform?
Hi Gail – The ospreys may attempt to build a frustration nest somewhere close by or they may not. I’m not sure of your location, but mostly all osprey eggs have either hatched or the eggs are close to hatching the first week in June. I think it’s too late to erect a platform for them to put a nest on this season, but one could be erected for next season.
I have an osprey who lands on a dead branch high up on neighbor’s doug fir. Alone. Same time each night, within a minute. How does the bird keep such a precise schedule?
Hi Steve – I think that ospreys, much like us, have daily and nightly routines. We know they head south usually around the same time in the fall and in the spring often arrive back to their nest around the same time also!
HI
I am hopeful you can provide some information. For how long do adults hunt for and feed juveniles? The juvenile? (orange eyes) being fed is almost larger than the adult and calls constantly. Even when being fed. We enjoy viewing their interaction cautiously, slowly and lowly I have been able to approach both so as to discern eye color. The Osprey eat and rest 9 feet off the ground on top of a boat lift. The juvenile can fly and at times fly up to the top of a Palm yet never leaves a very small area
I can send video and pics. If you would like them please send an email address.
Thank you I’m advance for your response.
David Guerrieri
Naples FL
Hi David – Adults will feed their fledglings up until they migrate, they do cut back some as time gets closer to migration though. You can also tell the juveniles by the white tips on their wings. It is surprising how large they are, often the same size as their parents!
There is an osprey (youth?) that has been perched on the same tree limb ALL day; have noticed it spreading it’s wings and vocalizing. Is this common? I plan on calling for help if nothing has changed by morning.
Hi Liz – I’m not sure of your location, but I don’t think chicks could be old enough to be on a tree limb, it’s still early in the season. If it is a juvie, they would have white tips on the end of their feathers. Often times when ospreys are not on their nest they perch places and fish. If you live in area where osprey chicks have fledged, it could be the juvie is calling for a parent or a fish and wants to be fed. I would be concerned if this osprey doesn’t move by morning.
Hi there,
I live in a fairly densely populated neighborhood in Seattle,WA. with a good amount of large trees and two lakes nearby. Last spring a pair of Osprey’s made a nest in a tree in a neighbor’s backyard, and successfully raised a chick.They returned in early April and began rebuilding their nest, yet a couple of weeks back they took off and were gone for almost a week. We were all concerned about them, but they came back and started adding more to the nest. They took off again after only being back for 1-2 days however, and it has now been over a week that they’ve been gone. They did not do any of this last year, and I’m hoping you can share any insight on why this may have happened and if they will come back/are okay?
Thank you so much,
Sasha
Hi Sasha – here in the Northwest most ospreys should have their eggs by now and should be incubating. It’s possible that their eggs were lost or taken by a raven or other predator or damaged somehow and not viable. They will return to their nest from time to time, but if there are no eggs or chicks they will probably just hang around the area until it’s time to migrate.
I have been watching this osprey sitting on the ground now for about almost two hours,it looks young and appears it cant fly.I hear adult ones chirping around but not checking on this
Never seen a young one before close up ,as I said it looks young.Will the adults take care of it? I am worried because it is sitting in the wide open
Hi Robyn – If the osprey cannot fly, it is very vulnerable on the ground. Older chicks and fledglings have white tips on all their feathers indicating that they are a juvenile. There isn’t much an adult osprey can do other than maybe feed it, but I would say it would be a good idea to call a local raptor rescue in your area for assistance if the osprey continues to stay on the ground.
I have an osprey platform on a pole out in our creek off the Rappahannock River and every year they return. Recently during a bad storm with high winds the pole blew over with the nest. The mother has remained at the site sitting on what is left of the platform. Sometimes the mate will come and sit beside her for awhile. We are heartbroken for them and it is painful to watch. What will they do now and will they come back if I can find someone to put up another pole and put the platform back on. I love watching them, they have become so special to me. I look forward to seeing them each spring and watching their babies grow.
Hi Brenda – That’s very sad. They probably lost their eggs. Ospreys have high nest fidelity, so while they might not be able to build one in the same spot where you had the pole this season, chances are if there is a platform for them next season they could very well build a nest there again. For the rest of this season they might just make stops at the area until they migrate.
Yesterday while seeing her still sitting on what’s left of her platform in the water, her mate came and mated with her. Do you think they may still have a chance to produce more eggs?
Hi Brenda – It would depend on how many eggs she already laid and what time it is in their season. East coast ospreys most likely are done with their cycle and most likely have chicks hatching by now. Further west the eggs have been laid and will begin to hatch end of May beginning of June. I would say it’s not likely for more eggs at this time. Nature is full of surprises, though!
We have a pair of osprey that are trying to make a nest 3 time the nest had been destroyed by the electric company. What happens to them now? Will they find another place to nest?
Hi Linda – I would think the ospreys would search out another location to build a nest. The time is getting shorter now for egg laying. Hopefully this osprey pair will find a safe location to build a nest they can return to each spring.
Do the prior years fledglings come back to their nest in the spring along with the parents? I have witnessed on the North Fork of Long Island, NY a Female on a nest and the Male was flying nearby. What looks like a younger osprey was trying to land on the nest and the female (I’m assuming it was a female) would not allow it to land.
Hi Janice – Chicks are usually gone for 2 years and may return to their natal area, that could mean miles away from the nest they hatched in. A couple years ago, a banded chick from Lolo, Montana, was seen in Missould, Montana, so in the same general area, just not their original nest. Ospreys are very protective of their nest now, especially with eggs.
We have a male osprey that just moves from tree to tree the past few days. There were two but the female seems to have disappeared. Is this likely mourning behavior? He calls out randomly but not a lot. They were building a nest across the lake, same spot the normally come each spring but we don’t see any movement there.
Hi Jennifer- I’m not sure if it’s mourning behavior. If the female is no longer around he most likely will look for another available mate.
After watching our osprey take care of her eggs since April 25, today we discovered that both of her eggs mysteriously disappeared….no sign of nest disturbance or evidence of the eggs or egg shells (2 eggs) The location of the nest is only about 4 feet from the ground. Is there any possibility Mom will lay more eggs later this year or is this a once a year occurrence? Thanks!
Hi Emily – I’m really surprised and osprey would lay eggs on a nest so close to the ground, they typically go for the highest place…the eggs were probably stolen by a raven or crow or raccoon, being so close to the ground it would be easy enough to be stolen. Ospreys only lay their eggs in the spring and at one time. If she laid her last egg on April 25 the next egg would be April 28 and she could lay 4 or 5 but that is usually only in special situations. If the eggs are even older that April 25 she would be done with her cycle for this season. It’s doubtful that she would lay any more eggs now, but keep a look out just in case! The Boulder Colorado Osprey nest had 3 eggs and there was snow storm and the female was not able to stay on the eggs, not long after she laid 2 more eggs, I’m just not sure of the time between the 3 eggs and number 4 and 5. It will be interesting to see how many eggs hatch!!
Love watching the osprey web cam, brilliant. Can you explain how this bird survives for so long without feeding herself. There’s probably an obvious answer, but I haven’t been able to find it.
Regards Michael.
Hi Michael -Before the chicks hatch, the male provides fish for the female and they take turns incubating the eggs. Once the chicks hatch, the female gets bites of fish as she feeds the chicks. The female also has fat reserves that sustain her some. When the chicks fledge and the female leaves the nest she and the male will both bring fish to the chicks and she’ll start building up her fat for migration.
Hi! We have watched a beautiful Osprey pair successfully hatch eggs since 2017, building a nest on the same stand year after year. This year they started to build the nest and then seemed to have abandoned it.. then a few days ago over a dozen Osprey filled the sky (perhaps all doing the sky dance?). Now the female has returned to the stand and is being very vocal but I can’t tell if she is building the nest again. She won’t leave it! Any idea what is happening? We were wondering if the unusual weather patterns this year have thrown everything off.
Hi Samantha – it could be that the female lost her mate and others are wanting to be accepted by her. If it is her nest she will defend it and wait for a new mate. She may not get one this season, so there might be a bit of action for awhile.
How long does it usually take for an Osprey chick to fledge? Once they have fledged will they tend to stay around the nest?
Hi Michael – Ospreys chicks can fledge around 52 days (or more) after they hatch. Yes, they do stay around the nest for quite awhile, waiting for food and sleeping in the nest for awhile and then eventually spend the night away from the nest and visit occasionally hoping for a food delivery all while they practice fishing and flying.
I observed a dueling Osprey scenario, where 3 ospreys appeared to be battling. The nest also had more than 2 ospreys landing in it. This is May 5th, and I don’t think babies are old enough to fly.
What was this behavior? Could more than 2 adult Ospreys, live in the same nest?
Hi Debbi – Usually when there are more than 2 ospreys on the nest it is because there is an available female. Other males come courting and it’s up to the female to accept the male she wants. It could be that there is a bonded pair on the nest and other ospreys are just seeing if they could get the nest maybe. Only the bonded pair and their chicks live in the nest. There have been situations where, when the chicks have fledged, that a chick from another nest will stop at a nest and sometimes the adult even feeds it.
I love seeing the Ospreys when they co me to my tall pine tree to eat their fish, the problem is they drop fish bones and guts down the yard and my little dog is eating them . I’m afraid one of the bones might perforate his intestine is there anything I can do to stop the osprey from coming to my tree?
Hi Annie – There really isn’t much you can do to keep ospreys from going to your tree short of cutting down the tree. Maybe you can go outside and pick up anything you don’t want your little dog to eat before you let it out? I’m sorry I’m not more help.
Good morning from sunny Solomons Maryland. – I have a question about a pair of Osprey’s that had built a nest on a boat in front of our house. We did provide them some help at first as their original nest was taken down last winter by a neighbor. After several attempts over 2 weeks they had their nest going and the day before yesterday we had terrible winds that blew the nest apart. We have not seen the Ospreys’s since then and are wondering if we go out and get the nest started again will they return. I believe it is time for them to start laying their eggs. We are hopefully.
Any thoughts?
Hi Nancy – You could put some sticks back in the area where the nest was. I don’t know if they will return. Sometimes they can build a nest quite quickly. Hopefully you’ll see them rebuild. If not, most likely they found another spot.
We set the nest back up and the male has been sitting near it and we are really hopeful that they will both return. Anxiously waiting. Thanks for the input.
Hi, there was a nest on the buoy/can that the Coast Guard removed this winter. The Osprey returned about 3 weeks ago and so far have hardly made any progress at all in rebuilding the nest, Some very windy days have not helped but we feel like they should be farther along. Is it possible one is not well or perhaps they are an “older” pair? Is it normal for it to take this long to rebuild a nest?
My friend also had the nest on the buoy she can see removed as well but the pair that returns there has already rebuilt their nest. Thank you!
Hi Laurie – The ospreys may have decided on a different location for a nest or they are just taking their time. Sometimes they can get a nest together very quickly and other times there doesn’t seem to be a rush. It is possible that the pair is young and not totally committed to a nest spot.
Hello, I have an Osprey nest being build on my chimney. They just started last week. Is there a possibility of damage to my chimney/roof? How long does it take the Osprey to build their nest?
Hi Sunny – I don’t think there would by any damage to your chimney or roof from the osprey nest as long as you don’t start a fire while the nest is there, you will have plenty of white streaks from them slicing (elimination) though and more as the chicks grow, but it will all wash off in the rain. It doesn’t really take the ospreys that long to build a nest, maybe up to 2 weeks starting from scratch, some ospreys are more elaborate than others with their nest building than others and they will add to it from time to time, but after the chicks hatch they won’t bring as many sticks, maybe just soft nest cup filling from time to time.
Do crows drive ospreys away. We used to have so many on our beach early in the morning hunting but now they are gone and we have lots of crows up at the beach. Would they drive the ospreys away ?
Thanks
Liza Pulitzer
Hi Liza – I don’t see crows being a threat to ospreys with the exception of them stealing osprey eggs. I think it’s possible that the ospreys are busy with the nests and chicks around this time of the year and maybe you would only see mostly males fishing around this time.
We have a pair of ospreys nesting on a platform that was put up by the previous owner. The platform is about 50 yards from the house with the pole sunk into a pond. It has been thrilling to watch them as I have never been this close to nesting Ospreys although they are bird I have always loved watching. But I have some questions. How long after the finish the nest does the female lay eggs? I think she may be sitting on eggs but can’t tell. She stays in the nest most of the time and is sitting low a lot but she moves around and when her mate comes she will often sit up with him. But she does not seem to leave the nest much. Also given that the nest is so close to our yard will we disturb them by mowing and doing yard work? We live in rural Montana right on the Ninepipes Wildlife Sanctuary.
Hi Robin – Ospreys are quite adaptable to surroundings that include people. I would try to stay away as much as possible though, not knowing how tall the pole is. They prefer very high locations. It can vary how long the eggs will be laid after the nest is finished. Some nests are already done and the ospreys return to just some branches and fluff to the existing nest. In Idaho the average egg lay date is the first of May but we have had the ospreys lay as early as April 22 with arrival dates from migration being around the 1st or 2nd week in April. It sounds like the female in your nest is incubating eggs. The females will lay on the eggs the majority of time except when relieved by the male with a fish or to take a flying break. The male will typically lay on the eggs while the female is gone. It is okay for the eggs to be uncovered a little bit, but not for hours at a time.
I live on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay and have an osprey platform behind my house. We’ve had osprey nest in there every summer we’ve been here (6 years). This year a pair returned on the early side, built up the nest, and seemed to have laid eggs (the female was hunkered down deep for 10 or so days), and then over the last day or so, she seems to have disappeared. I’ve seen 1 osprey at the nest a few times today. What could have happened? What will happen to the eggs?
Hi Leslie – The eggs are awfully close to hatching, if it’s possible they hatched, the chicks might not have made it. If they didn’t hatch, and the eggs continue to be left unattended they probably won’t hatch. They still need to be incubated even if they are close to hatching… If the female left to eat, something could have happened to her, sadly.
Thank you. Sadly, I haven’t seen any visitors to the nest for over 12 hours. I doubt the eggs hatched, but if they did, I don’t think they babies will make it. If the unhatched eggs are left in the nest, what will happen to them? I mean, how will they be removed? Also, is it possible that one of the ospreys will come back to it? This season? I’m so saddened by this!
Hi Leslie – You may see ospreys come by the nest, but it seems there will be no eggs hatching or if they hatched the chicks didn’t survive. It’s also possible that the eggs were not fertile and then abandoned. I’ve seen different things happen to abandoned eggs; some are taken by crows or other big birds, they could get broken up, they could get kicked to the ground if there is a lot of activity in the nest. I have also seen an egg that was on the nest almost to the end of the season that exploded. I hope next season will be a successful one for the nest!
When the eggs are left unattended for hours on end, will this affect viability ? Referring to this occuring the past 2 afternoons on Chesapeake Conservancy cam. Thank you
Hi Kerry – A lot would depend on the temperature when the eggs are left and of course the length of time left as well as the age of the eggs. It’s hard to say for sure, chances are the eggs might not survive, but sometimes nature surprises us!
Why would an Osprey couple abandon their nest ?
Hi Eileen – thee are different reasons for nests to be abandoned. One could be that the osprey may not be a bonded pair or young ospreys and one finds a different mate for some reason. The eggs could have been lost and the nest is no longer being used. Also, some nests could get infected with bugs that make it impossible for the ospreys to stay on the nest.
Am I seeing this correctly? Do ospreys stand on each other? Are they mating? How many times do they mate per egg? We see one egg appeared 2 days ago. Will there be more?
Hi Chris – Male ospreys have been seen landing on the backs of their mate and just stand there, most often they are on the females back to mate. They will mate several times during the mating season. Once the first egg is laid the eggs will be 3 days apart. Ospreys usually lay 3 in a clutch, however, there are times where 4 or even 5 eggs have been laid. Sometimes these cases are due to the first eggs possibly being compromised by weather or egg damage, but the most common and usual is for 3 eggs to be laid.
I was surprised to see the male sitting on the eggs and then the female came back and took his place is it normal for the male to also sit on the eggs? Uh
Hi Anthony – Yes it is normal for the males to lay on the eggs, in fact some appear to really enjoy it. The only time they ever lay down and sleep or rest is when there are eggs or chicks. The males typically only lay on the eggs, once the eggs hatch they don’t usually lay on the chicks like the female does.
I can hear recently hatched eggs on the top of our local next. Yesterday, the male was coming and going with what looked like seaweed or mudflat material in its claws. Is this normal?
Hi Cathy – It’s normal for males to bring nesting material after the chicks hatch. It’s very important that the nest cup doesn’t get packed down so they will add to the nest for awhile still. Once the chicks get older you don’t see them bringing much nest material anymore.
Are the Osprey effected by the temperature and wind. I know the migrate south for the winter but early on when they return and nest the temperature can fall below freezing.
Hi Robert – Ospreys do adapt to the crazy spring weather, I’ve seen ospreys lay on their egg while covered in snow with ice on their eyelids. They persevere usually. They migrate in the fall to warmer waters that don’t freeze over so they are able to fish and feed themselves.
Hello,
I just started watching the Osprey nest cam in Charlo, MT on explore.org. The big topic of discussion on the site is the returning Osprey pair, Charlie and Charlotte.Charlie returned to the nest area a few days ago, and Charlotte returned today. It appears this mated pair does not migrate together? Is this the norm for a mated Osprey pair – or does it seem unusual?
Much to the dismay of many long-term Charlie and Charlotte fans, a goose is in their nest, and she has laid eggs. Will be interesting to see if the ‘nest owners’ will try to take back the nest, or nest elsewhere…
Thank you for your words of wisdom!
Hi Maureen – The Charlo, Mt nest is a beautiful nest site! Mated osprey pairs do migrate at different times and even different locations. Often the females leave first and return first, followed by the male, sometimes up to 2 weeks later. Regarding the geese in the nest. That is unfortunate! At the Sandpoint Osprey nest geese took over and the ospreys did not get them to leave, in fact 2 sets of geese laid eggs so the season was ruined for the ospreys, that is one reason the nest is removed each fall. However, at the nest cam at Dunrovin Ranch in Lolo, Montana, a goose laid an egg and the goose was chased off by Harriet and the egg disappeared! I’m not sure how many eggs are on the nest at Charlo, but I’ve watched videos where both the male and female goose seem to be pretty set and protective of the nest. If the eggs were laid early enough and hatch before May, there is a chance the ospreys can take the nest back, but they, too, will need to have nest for their eggs if they cannot get the nest any sooner.
Our ospreys have returned to their old damaged nest on eastern long island. They have recently rebuilt the nest to make it more sound. We are now seeing that their are more than one couple who want to make this nest their home. Will the more persistent Osprey win or will the nest go back to the original nest builders ?
Hi Laurie – Usually the previous owners/occupants of the nests retain residency, but I think it would depend on their ability to fend off the intruders. Soon one of them will have to decide to move on and either find or build a nest elsewhere. As May approaches so does the time for eggs to be laid.
destinjimmy@gmail.com Good morning. 2 years ago we instlled a platform on a high post. Over thatt time 2 Ospreys have eaten on the platform rail and brought a few sticks. Early March 2020 the Male workied days on end building up a nest to the point moss, sea weed soft stuff was brought in. Now in the last 10 days no sight of the 2 birds, GONE. They may have been young birds. What happen?? Jimmy
Hi James – It’s possible that the ospreys chose a different location or one or both were injured, or it is possible as you said that they were young and maybe not a mated pair.
Curiosity question – can a male osprey maintain 2 separate nests (2 mates) at the same time, when both nests have chicks? Is this uncommon?
Hi Susan – a male can have two nests, but maintaining them both successfully is not the norm. Usually one nests suffers and the chicks don’t survive.
We live in VA on a point of land that looks onto Fleets Bay and beyond to the Chesapeake Bay. We just got a boat and installed a boat lift on our dock. We are thinking of building an osprey perch and nest platform maybe 30 to 50 yards away from our dock. Osprey are common around here – one was sitting around for awhile in our yard today – and we’d love to welcome a couple here. But my neighbor tells me this is a dumb idea because the offspring will likely return in future years and, looking for their own place to build a nest, may well choose the top of our center console boat. And that is not what we want. Any advice?
Hi Rich – A platform with a critter guard and perch would be great, away from your dock if you want to discourage them nesting on your boat, however, they have been known to nest in boats even with other options available. Not all offspring return to their natal area, usually the males may return to the general area but not necessarily where they hatched. I guess really with or without a platform there is a chance that the ospreys could build a nest on your boat. They do prefer the highest point, usually, so if you build a platform make it taller than the height of your boat and that could possibly draw them to the platform instead of your boat.
We’ve had 3 ospreys perched seemingly peacefully on the same nesting platform here for several hours both yesterday and today. Since it is mating and nesting season, this seems very irregular. Might you have any explanation?
Thank you.
Hi Eldon – we have seen this every season in different nests…ospreys do accept other ospreys in their nest, the 3rd one could be a young unattached osprey or unmated and surely will move on or the female could be looking for a mate if hers has not returned yet.
does the female osprey move the eggs around in the nest? The osprey I am observing appears to be rearranging the eggs every now and then.
Hi Cate – yes the female does move the eggs around. This is very important for the health of the chicks inside to have the eggs moved and rotated while incubating.
If a female osprey returns to the nest for mating season but the male fails to arrive will the female remain and attempt to attract another male?
Hi Peter – if there is a male that is interested and if the female accepts the male they could pair up, mate, and raise chicks. If there is no mate accepted then the female will continue to stay in the area until migration, fishing and hanging out.
What happens if the Osprey’s mate doesn’t return to the nest. The Osprey in the nest is just chirping away and for two or more days no sign of the mate.
Hi Deborah – sometimes one mate does arrive as much as two weeks after the first mate appears at the nest. Typically what will happen if one mate doesn’t return the other mate will look for another available mate. If there is no mate for the season the osprey will fish themselves and carry on without a mate or chicks until they migrate in the fall.
How close can you have one nest next to another. What is the distance.
Hi Debra – Osprey nests sometimes seem closer together than you would think. It is up to the ospreys to build where they choose. We had ospreys nesting a football field length in distance apart, and you will find nests along waterways as well that may be close.
Is there a reason for concern for an Osprey that has been in a field for 24hrs? He had been in a pretty large mud hole at a cattle gate but since moved down the fence line just standing so pretty. Still there after night too. There is a creek with no fish within a hundred feet, a fishing pond within an acre, and a large fishing reservoir over the tree line about 2 mile away. It’s in a fence with a breeding bull so we cannot get to him to check on him at the moment. Is the field sitting normal behavior?
Hi Ellen! I would say it is NOT normal for an osprey to sit on the ground for an extended amount of time. The ospreys are returning to their nesting sites so could be tired from flying, but would typically rest on tree branches, or high places. They do perch for long periods of time, but I wouldn’t think they would stay on the ground. I would think a call to your local licensed raptor rehabilitator would be called for if the osprey is still there.
I’ve had a pair of Osprey on our property since 2013. In 2017 we installed a live cam. There have been several “firsts” of Osprey behavior since we have been observing close up. Today there was another first…..Ricky brought Lucy some wisteria to the nest. Blooming purple, beautiful wisteria and Lucy ate it! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I’ve been looking for information regarding plant eating by Ospreys and cannot find any. Do you have information on this? If you want to go see for yourself our page is http://www.lakemurrayosprey.com . Glad to have found your page!
Hi Sharonkay! Oh my that would be something to see! Wisteria smells so much better than fish, I am surprised, though, that Lucy ate it. I have heard of ospreys eating some different things (not on a regular basis like fish) but never Wisteria!
I live in South Florida and we have a pair of osprey nesting in an old pine tree in our backyard. This is their second season in the tree. Two babies have hatched and are two weeks old. The male seems to have abandoned the nest. We see him only about once a day at the nest. The mother is constantly calling for her mate but he doesn’t respond. The female has been leaving the nest in search of food. Crows and other smaller birds are harassing the mother and we’re concerned that the babies could be eaten or killed by the harassing birds. Yesterday four other osprey were flying around her nest. Are they trying to help her? Would they harm her or her babies? We also have an eagle nest about half mile from the osprey nest. We saw the eagle near the osprey nest yesterday when all the other osprey were there. Is there something we could do to help her?
Hi Donna – Sounds like the male might have another female and nest someplace else possibly…sadly with such young chicks the chances for their survival are not really good unless he starts to provide continually for them. Eagles and starvation could both be factors. You could call a local, licensed, raptor rescue/rehabilitation organization in your area and see if they could be of any help.
Thank you! We have seen the male there a few times over the past couple days but he doesn’t usually bring food. The mother leaves the nest to catch food and the babies are active in the nest. She seems to be keeping them fed so far. We have a wildlife rescue here so I’ll give them a call and see what they say. Thanks for your reply.
We have a returning pair of Osprey in a pole across a small saltwater creek and love watching them fish and raise their young.
Yesterday evening we saw the female on our lawn and slowly walked towards it to see why it wasn’t moving. She was clearly in trouble so we called a local sanctuary and the guy took her away for attention saying it looked like a severe neck injury.
This morning we were devastated by the news that she didn’t make it.
We are not sure what happened but the creek gets quite shallow and we wondered if she had do e in and hit the oyster beds somehow.
The male is still in the best and appears incredibly quiet.
Our question would be, is he likely to survive and find a new mate, and if so does this typically take time or can it happen quite quickly?
Hi Andy! That is very sad. Usually during this time the males do the fishing for the most part. Perhaps she collided with another osprey while protecting her nest….Do you know if any eggs were laid? Males are typically pretty quiet except when danger is around. He should survive as long as he avoids things that are dangerous to him. Most likely he will search out another mate and it can both take some time or go quickly, I suppose it depends on how many females are available to him.
My wife and I have an osprey nest on a platform in our creek right next to our back yard. We have a really enjoyed the two birds who return every year to their nest and raise a brood there.
This year, because we of seed droppings from last summer, the middle of the nest is full of grass! About 14” high!
Will the ospreys use this nest?
I have seen two birds here checking it out, but I am worried.
Best,
Bob
Hi Bob – Yes, if the mated pair return again this spring they will still use the nest even with grass growing in it. We’ve seen other nests with greenery in need of a good mow that the ospreys still use!! Hoping you get a successful season of osprey watching!!
We have an osprey nest stand in front of our house in the marsh. “Our” Osprey have not returned yet and usually they get here on the first day of spring. How long before we know that the nest will be empty or not?How long before we know that the nest will be empty or not? Thanks! PS Last year they had no babies so we were thinking perhaps that is why they have not returned to the nest?
Hi Katie-I’m not sure which area of the U.S. you live in but I would say give it a good 2-4 weeks to look for their return. Maybe the pair last year was a newly mated pair, sometimes it takes a few seasons for things to go just right or it could be they go for another nesting site.
We have a second home in Beaufort, SC, and one of its great joys is watching our ospreys. We built a pole off of our dock, and we have had a family for years. We also have a bald eagles’ nest across the saltwater creek from our pole, and in two seasons one of the eagles has attacked the nest and ruined the hatch. Our nesting platform does not have the upreaching diagonal stakes at the corners of the platform, and I was wondering if those might help keep the eagles away. Also, our ospreys do not build a substantial nest, only a few sticks and branches and a little Spanish moss. Do you think the diagonal stakes would encourage a more substantial nest? This year the female has returned and has been here for a week or 10 days, but no sign of the male. Here’s hoping. Thanks for your thoughts and comments.
Hi Andy! What a treat it must be to enjoy ospreys so easily! I gathered some information from our biologist, as you can imagine, not all Ospreys, like all creatures, act or behave the same way. Normally, one of the Osprey pair will attack when an Eagle enters their “territory.” However, you have probably seen footage of Bald Eagles snatching young Ospreys from nests. So, absolute defense of a nest site isn’t guaranteed. It would seem that any object (e.g., pole) sticking up above the nest might help prevent Eagles from compromising nesting Ospreys. I wonder if 4 poles, equally spaced around the nest platform and still up, say 3′, above the nest would help. The question is, how much alteration can you do before you discourage Ospreys from nesting? That’s where variable behavior comes in; 1 Osprey may tolerate lots of modifications, while another has little tolerance for change. It appears clear that the current situation isn’t working. It is possible due to consecutive failure, there is a risk the pair could abandon the site. Frankly, I don’t envy an Ospreys nesting near nesting Bald Eagles; they are constantly in danger!
With regard to whether or not diagonal poles would encourage more prolific nest construction, I doubt it. Some Ospreys build substantial nests while others don’t. I’ve seen pairs nesting on goose platforms where the biologists place a couple of bales of hay in the nest box for the geese to nest on. In some instances, the Ospreys do little to enhance the nest. Maybe Ospreys are like some people, content with the bare minimum! I guess as long as the eggs are secure, the young can be successfully raised, it doesn’t make much difference. One thing you might consider is to put raccoon or critter guards to prevent climbing animals to get up to the nest; if you’re not for sure the eagles attacked the nest. Also, most often the female returns to the nest first and sometimes does wait quite awhile for her mate to return, of course after awhile there is a greater chance that the mate is not going to return.
Which osprey returns first? And after the initial landing doesn’t it leave for a few days and then the two return?
Hi Preston – Typically the females return first, but ospreys will do what they want and can change things up each season. If they leave the nest for a few days it could be it might not be the ‘owners’ of the nest that were there and then the owners show up because most often the returning mated pair return to their nest maybe days apart but the female or male will keep returning and maybe even add sticks while waiting for the return of their mate.
My sister lives in Eagle ID and there is a large Osprey nest near her house. She noticed that year after year small birds of different species will hang around below the nest when the Osprey return and she is curious as to why this happens.
Hi Ava! It’s like a little community eco system….you can imagine there are bugs and such living in nests and the smaller birds feed on those bugs as well as in some cases, actually build nests within the ospreys nest if it is large enough. Or they may steal sticks from the nest to build their nest elsewhere. There is a very large osprey nest in Lolo, Montana at Dunrovin Ranch, they have a cam on that nest and an osprey pair their every season. That nest has birds living below, inside, the ospreys nest! here is the link if you’d like to check it out… http://members.daysatdunrovin.com/
Do Osprey have to rebuild a new nest each year? I see nest platforms with huge nests during the summer. Do the nests remain on the platforms? Are they removed (for some reason) by DNR? Do nests get blown off the platforms, or destroyed by other weather factors? I see Bald Eagles reuse nests each year, so I’m just wondering if Osprey do the same, or have to start from scratch?
Thank you kindly,
Kim Curry
Cumberland, MD
Hi Kim! There several different scenarios. Some ospreys have to rebuild each season if their nest has been destroyed by wind and weather or if it’s removed to keep Canada Geese away. In some areas the ospreys are able to use the same nest each year and they can get built up quite high. If osprey return to an area where they had a previous nest, most often they will build again in the same spot or look for the highest spot available. They are very swift nest builders, usually completing their nest in a week or two. It is amazing to watch them build!
Hi
I live in Washington state and been watching the Osprey here for 2 seasons. Yesterday I noticed a Canada Goose in the nest. The owners have not returned yet. When the Osprey return will they take the nest over and is the goose just checking it out?
Hi Cherie! Canada Geese are opportunists and will take an osprey nest and make it their own. They won’t bring nesting material but will add ‘fluff’ from their down to the nest. If the female lays eggs chances are high that when the ospreys return they will not have a nest. It takes about a month for goose eggs to hatch and then maybe 24 hours or so for the goslings to jump the nest. We lost one osprey season due to a Canada Geese pair laying eggs, they hatched, jumped the nest and immediately another goose family came and laid eggs. After that the nest is removed each fall; with no nest the geese won’t lay eggs and the ospreys can build a nest each year.
We’re camping at Ft. Pickens at Pensacola Beach. Last year (in early March) there were lots of osprey attending to nests but this year we haven’t seen any. Any idea what’s up? When do they usually return?
Hello! Ospreys are year round residents in Florida and they will most likely begin mating and nesting in March…they usually nest, produce eggs, etc. a little earlier than in the West coast where our ospreys typically return the 1st week in April.
I am watching an osprey cam in the Ft Myers Fl area. At first she had 2 white eggs, now she has 2 white and 2 speckled brown eggs. Is this normal?
Hi Lucy,
The egg color of ospreys is typically. as you described two of the eggs, speckled brown. It could be the 2 white eggs are duds, maybe. I wonder if there is a chance the white eggs are old eggs that were left in the nest or laid by some other bird?
Hi, we have been looking and photographing Ospreys for almost 20 years now mostly on a man made nest. We see them hatch twice a year. My question is: Is that typical? Or perhaps these are two different pairs. I would appreciate your answer very much. Thank you,
Rafael.
Hi Rafael,
Ospreys lay one clutch of eggs per season. The chicks hatch and stay in the nest up to 55 days and then fledge and hang around the nest a little longer before going out on their own. Is it possible after they leave another type bird maybe lays eggs and hatches? I don’t think it could be another osprey as they would all be laying their eggs and hatching pretty close to the same time.
Why does the male land on top of the female first then fly off after a few seconds?
Hello! I have seen this several times and it could be a decision was made not to mate OR the view is better from higher up on top of the female. I think also it could sometimes be from a possible protective situation where maybe there is danger and the male is protecting the nest and the female.
After seeing Ospreys try to make a nest on our old boat on a lift we built a platform and put it on top of the top of the boat. It is heavy but not 100 percent secured. In less than a day they are building in it. Can we go out our long dock and anchor it better today if we only touch the raised sides and not the contents? We didn’t realize how fast they would claim it. I don’t want them to abandon it but I worry about long term stability. We are in Stuart, FL on the intracoastal waterway with a good distance from the main channel. It’s been less than 24 hours since we put it on the high top of the boat.
Hi Eileen,
You should secure it before they lay eggs, it would be very sad if the nest fell after there were eggs or chicks. What would be best is to have it in a clear location and as high as you could get it as well as very stable.
We are in SE Fl and an Osprey who has a mate constantly “sings” out all day long, even if mate is there. We have many Osprey in Vt where we live and have never seen this constant behavior. Could it have OCD?
Hi Bill,
Usually the most vocal in osprey couples seems to be the female (surprise!!) It’s possible she is wanting a fish or just communicating with whomever will listen….
Can osprey live somewhere without water? Do they commonly live in open areas edged by trees? Me and my friend are trying to figure out what bird is living in this schoolyard by our houses and we thought maybe it could be an osprey.
Hi Tezz,
Osprey will perch or hang out where there might not be water next to them, but they would not be so far from water that they couldn’t fish when food was needed. Often times eagles or hawks are mistaken for ospreys, depending on where you are located this could be the case.
I’m in Seattle, near Harbor Island, where we’re used to seeing Ospreys in spring and in summer. Today is nearly Christmas, though, and I’m watching one that has landed in a tall evergreen in my neighborhood. I can’t tell if it’s a female or a male (possibly female because it looks big), but I’m hoping it’s OK. It’s been sitting there for nearly 2 hours now, in the rain. Is this unusual?
Hi La,
Ospreys migrate south in August/September so most likely what you are seeing is an eagle or some kind of hawk 🙂
Hi: A nest platform was recently erected in my neighborhood (in SW Florida). There are several nesting pairs in our area.
It seems to us that a pair that has a nest atop another platform are the same pair that brought sticks to the new platform. They come to the nest and sit in it together. The male brings her fish, etc, but then they go to the other nest…and seem to spend more time there.
Is this a normal behavior?
Hi Kathy! It is possible for ospreys to be at a couple of nests, our osprey couple frequent the empty nest platform across the field, but their main nest is the one where the cam is and where they have laid eggs and raised their chicks for many seasons…ospreys have high nest fidelity, so if they built the other nest and they are the same mates as last season, I would think they would go to that nest. I wonder if there is a new mate to the pair this season or maybe different ospreys, going in between the nests. It will be so interesting for you to observe and see where they end up!!
Hi!
Up until this morning the office spray had a nest. We woke up to see the nest gone without any natural causes. We were wondering if at this point being mid September if the mother Bird is trying to coax the last of its offspring to fly south?
Hi Barbara – The only time osprey parents would ‘coax’ their chicks is when the chicks are old enough to fledge or fly away from the nest. They do this by withholding fish. When it is time to migrate instinct kicks in and the ospreys head south whenever they decide it’s time. Often the female parent leaves before the chicks and the male stays behind, usually, until the chicks have gone. They might all go different places, also.
This year we had a nesting pair of ospreys utilize a nesting platform that has been empty for 30 years ospreys pledged in late July one of the Osprey chicks quickly seem to be independent and left the nest area the other check however has stayed in the nest area until now September it doesn’t stray far from the nest and mostly sits on the nest and cries to be fed. From time to time an Osprey will bring this chick a fish .it is not appear to do any fishing on its own. what’s going on?
Hi Richard – Seems like every season each nest has it’s own hold out fledgling that will just sit in the nest and wait for a fish delivery. It was the same scenario at the Sandpoint nest this season and last. The chicks eventually leave and will fish for themselves on their way during migration.
Thank you so much. Just this past week you young osprey disappeared. Hoping for best. I was really worried.
There is a young osprey alone crying in its nest. The rest of the family has left for the winter. Why is it just sitting there and crying and not leaving?
Hi Sarah – Has the young osprey fledged and does appear to be alright? I’m wondering if it hasn’t moved if it could having fishing line or bailing twine around it’s legs? If you have seen it fly away from the nest and back daily, it’s possible it is communicating with other ospreys and that maybe some are still around just not in the nest. It will leave if it is able to. If you do not see this chick leave the nest you should call a wildlife rehabilitator and see if they can rescue it.
Hi,
We live in Knoxville, TN. Our ospreys had 2 babies. The bigger of the two has already fledged (maybe 2 weeks ago?). The dad has already left, too. The smaller baby has been flying some but stays at the nest most of the time. We have not seen the mom in about 4 days. We are worried that the mom has left, and the smaller baby isn’t capable of surviving on its own as far as learning to fish?
Hi Hester – It’s possible that the parents are still around and maybe, hopefully, feeding the chick or chicks from the trees or somewhere close to where they fish…it takes a little while for juvies to master the art of fishing, but they will have to learn in order to survive. It could be one the parents deliver a fish to the chick when you aren’t looking, they are sneaky like that 😀 I sure hope all is okay and nothing happened to the parents.
Hello. I have a question. Now the children are flying herself. Near bis as her mother. I like to watch them. Last days I sit around 100 meter from nest. But it seems like they still are afraid for me. The children sometimes go to nest.Mother or father come with fish. After some second the parents take off. It seems like the children now use the nest most. Perhaps still have need for fish from parents. Perhaps sleep here. But if you shal watch them. What are the best way. Sit down,still. 1 hour or more. So they feel safety.Can see you.Trust you. Do you know if they use their eyes or (5th. sense), to feel ,see your energy. If you stress. Go around. Make nose. Perhapse. How often do they use the nest now? Children are flying. And if you disturb? They will not go to nest. Perahps the children got fisk another place?
Hi Alice – with the osprey chicks flying now, the parents will bring fish to the nest occasionally and each chick will hope to get it for themselves. They will be flying around, learning about the world around them and hopefully practice some fishing of their own, they may even sleep at the nest at night or sleep away from the nest. The parents most likely will only be at the nest to deliver a fish, it is also possible that the chicks get fish away from the nest. It is best to observe from a distance as the ospreys are surely aware if anything is too close to them to feel safe. I would say to watch with binoculars would be least intrusive to the ospreys.
We have had two ospreys nesting on the platform I built years ago every year ! This is only the second year we have had grown babies as eagles attacked the nest each year! The pair had two young . One has fledged ( about two days ago ) but the other still sits on the nest ! Both have been flapping in practice , one more strongly than the other ! Is it usual for them to attain flight across different time frames , or could the one be unable for some reason? Parents seem to still be feeding it and it perched a calls out ! Sibling and parents are in various trees nearby
Hi Jack – I see from your last message the last chick took flight! We had a chick during the 2018 season who fledged a whole week after the others. For whatever reason some take a little longer than others! So glad they’ve had a successful season on the platform you installed! They will return to the nest for maybe up to a month before migrating!!
Have one more question now that the two young have fledged. Initially short flights to nearby trees , and then longer and longer as they strengthened and got more competent ! Now both young hang around in trees nearby and occasionally on the nest calling out. ( am assuming begging for food )
Haven’t seen mom and dad today…….. so my question is do,the parents at some point just leave and young are on own to learn to fish , or are parents around somewhere
Hi Jack – When chicks fledge, initially both parents are around, hanging in the trees and mostly only seen in the nest when they deliver the fish. It seems that typically the female migrates first leaving the male with the chicks. Sometimes a chick will migrate around the same time as the female. Usually you’ll see the male bring fish to a chick in the nest toward the end of the season and then all remaining will just get that drive to move on and migrate. They seem to go their own way and hopefully the chicks are successful fishing because they will be on their own once they south.
Hi, my question is we l live in the Pacific Northwest ,Oregon. My husband and I love watching the Ospreys and the Eagles .we have a large snag that’s up acrost on a hillside that we can watch from our porch. No Nest on this nag, just the resting spot for the birds to fly by and happened to meet there. For about 3 weeks now the Ospreys are very very interested in this snag top they sit there, and we watch them a lot. Some look like they’re bringing in branches and my question is will they start planning and maybe bringing in some building materials for spring before they leave for winter? The top of the snag is changing in appearance, it really looks like they are doing some building?? I have tried to Google this but haven’t found any answers?? Thank you so much for your time.
Lisa Richards.
Hi Lisa – It is possible that a mated pair lost their nest and is trying to build a frustration nest or ospreys are claiming that spot in the snag for their nest in the spring. It will be interesting to see, if the branches stay up during the winter, if ospreys will complete and have a nest there next spring! I hope it all works out so that you can view an osprey family there!
When young osprey are able to fly do they continue to return to the parents nest?
Hi John – Fledglings will return to the nest, to rest, to sleep, even to get food. They also may sleep away from the nest and only visit occasionally until they migrate.
The young osprey has left the nest but is camped out now on our neighbor’s boat. It seems to not want to fly off at all. Maybe it can’t fly. Or is it afraid. What will happen to it?
Thanks
Dianne
Hi Dianne – Like most birds, ospreys will fly, but also spend a lot of time perched and observing things around them. I’m sure if the young osprey flew to the boat it will fly other places and most likely fly back to the nest to get fed or feed itself after a parent has delivered a fish.
Hi Just wondered if a reason exists for an osprey to have never used a nesting site. It was placed in 2007 and is never used. Beside a lake, shallow. What might impact ? Thanks
Hi Sharon – It could be that mated pairs have their nests that they return to each season and there just haven’t been ospreys looking for a nest. Is there currently a nest at this site or platform? If that nest is on a platform maybe it could be removed and possibly an osprey might build their own. Also, ospreys do prefer to nest at the highest point they can, so that is a consideration when choosing a nest site.
Tonight I saw some unusual behavior from our resident Ospreys in CT/Long Island Sound and it raised a question: “Is stick ‘carrying and dropping’ a typical Osprey threat display?” As we were sailing in to a busy harbor around dusk, one of the Ospreys (the female probably b/c it was the larger one) was circling around and around their nest platform with a large stick in her talons. She was making a lot of noise. There were seagulls and egrets around – a lot of unusual large bird activity in that patch of water by a pier and an active beach. The Osprey, one of a pair whose chick had just fledged last week, loudly dropped the stick on the pier so that it made a loud clanging noise. Could she have been feeling threatened by the Gulls? I’ve noticed the gulls being aggressive lately around the beach and the pier. What would the gulls be after? Fish in the nest? Hopefully, it wasn’t the fledgling, but that is pretty big by now and taking lots of flights so prob not. What were they communicating and how common is that behavior? I’ve watched them all summer and never seen it!
Hi MG- I do know that ospreys love their sticks and it’s possible that the stick was kind of heavy and it just dropped the stick. It very well could have been bothered by the Gulls but not threatened. I know when the adults come to the nest with a stick and the chicks are expecting a fish there can be a lot of racket; first from excitement and then from disappointment that it is a stick and not a fish. Maybe the Gulls thought the Osprey had a fish and were making it known they would like it. It would be interesting behavior if an Osprey used a stick to send a message or try to detour the Gulls from the nest area or just to get them to be quiet!
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT A YOUNG OSPREY IS GETTING READY TO FLEDGE?
Hi Ted – Young osprey, when getting ready to fledge will usually hop across the nest with their wings flapping, or they will flap their wings in place (strengthening their wings) and they will ‘helicopter’, where they actually have distance between their feet and then nest. Then one day, they will just take off and they won’t even let you know they’re going to go!!!
It is the last week of July. I think the ospreys kids are on their own now. We have multiple nests along the sound and river that bracket our point. For the last week, the ospreys in the vicinity have been screaming constantly, both on the wing and when sitting in a tree. What’s going on?
Hello – If the ospreys are juveniles they could be communicating with each other and/or their parents wanting food. If they are adults they could be communicating with other ospreys or also alerting to danger.
Forgot to mention in my previous question about the 2 males with an injured female. I’m in Washington state. Also, it was witnessed that female from another nest has come over and attacked the injured female, but male came in to rescue.
Hi Jo – Wow, what a sad thing to witness! It is pretty close to impossible to catch an adult osprey unless their injury makes them immobile, so sad she can’t get help! Regarding the other males landing on her, it’s not mating season, but I’m not sure how males act out in the wild away from the cam. It could be unmated males, trying to get a mate for next season. Usually the way it works is males will attack males and females will attack females but males do not attack females and visa versa. There really is no reason to attack the female, though! The male could be trying to keep other males away from the nest area and the female and could be feeding the chick. The chick should be close to fledging by now, I would think, and could eat a fish on it’s own, but will take awhile to successfully fish on its own. Hoping for the best for all the ospreys involved!
Hi, I’m just curious. I have been watching an osprey nest for about 6 weeks. They had 1 baby. Mom got severely injured 2 days ago, probably by protecting her nest from another raptor. She is not sitting in nest, but sitting on some pilings next to the nest. She has not eaten for 2 days. Have called wildlife rescue and they can’t help. Dad has been bringing in food for baby. Interesting thing though, A male will jump on the female, is he trying to wake her, mate her? I saw dad sitting on pole (at least I thought it was dad), a male came in and jumped on the hurt female, dad came in and chased away. Later we saw a male come in fly into the nest, no food and then flew to some pilings further down from the nest. Another male showed up with fish and chased off the male sitting on the pilings. It almost looks like 2 different males landed on the injured female and 2 different males have been in the nest. Do osprey sometimes help feed at another nest when there is an injured parent?
We had 3 chicks in the nest until about 3 days ago. They all seemed to be thriving by all appearances. There are only 2 chick’s there now. Is it possible one has fledged and already left the nest.
Hi Tammy – did you notice the chicks flapping their wings and ‘helicoptering’ above the nest? If so, it’s very possibly and most likely that one of the chicks has fledged. Fledging usually begins around 56 days old and up. If the chick fledged it most likely will return to the nest on occasion. Usually when they first fledge they still sleep on the nest and hope for food, as they get older and closer to migration, they might and do sleep away from the nest.
I was camped on the Oregon coast a few days ago, July 17-19, near a large lake. Above our tent site there was a large fir in the top of which was an osprey nest, by the sound of the persistent calls. One morning I noticed a bit of flying around the nest and lots of screeching. Then a large osprey flew from the nest with something in its talons. It perched on a nearby snag and proceeded to dine quite vigorously on its prey. This took some time. After resting a bit it flew back to the nest and took something from it again, flying back to the same perch and ate its fill. But then it did this a third time to the same effect. After the second snatch and feeding there was no more high pitched cheeping from the nest. Do adult osprey cannibalize each other´s chicks? Or did this adult osprey simply find a nest full of uneaten fish which no one seemed to want? The preying osprey was quite large. I did not have binoculars so I could not identify what was being eaten.
Hi Steve – Oh my goodness…at first it sounded like maybe the screeching you heard was what ospreys do when a fish is on it’s way to the nest. Is it possible that the bird you saw was not an osprey but an eagle or some other bird? Ospreys do not cannibalize chicks, they are fish eaters and don’t hunt for other birds…sounds like it’s possible another bird of prey may have taken the chicks from the nest. Very sad. Owls will do this, too, but that would happen at night.
I am quite confident the the preying bird was an osprey. But I have noticed the size of the chicks in the Sandpoint Osprey nest cam. Based on this, I now think that there is no way that the creature that was the prey in my observation was an osprey chick–it/they were way too small (about the size of an apple, but elongated in shape possibly). Could it be that one of the parent osprey moved some of the fish from its own nest to eat in peace in a nearby tree? After it ate the first meal it was joined for a few minutes by another, somewhat smaller osprey that simply perched nearby (about 10-15 feet away in the same tree) and preened itself and rested. Why would an osprey have to take its own meal away from the nest in order to feed itself? Was this osprey a fish snatcher who had no business being there except to steal food from its neighbors? Fascinating behavior for me to observe and I am enjoying the mystery of it.
Hi Steve – It is very possible that an osprey could have a fish other places. I have seen fish deliveries one after another, too quickly delivered to have gone fishing, but maybe there was stash somewhere. I also have seen the males take fish from the nest after the chicks have been fed some of it. I think when the chicks are younger they don’t need as much to fill them up and having a fish on the nest is a draw to other fish snatchers. There are a lot of possible scenarios! I do hope it wasn’t the chicks that were snatched. Fish are much easier to replace!
We have been watching a pair of Osprey that return every year to the same spot. There are several nests in the area but our camera covers only one. This spring 2 eggs hatched and we’ve watched them grow to “ready to fly” stage. A few days ago, a 3rd juvenile osprey appeared in the nest. Is that common?
Hi Theresa – for whatever reason this does happen sometimes and often the extra chick will even get fed by the nest parents.
How does the adopted juvenile get to the foster nest? Was it learning to fly and could not get back to its own nest after a test flight?
Hi Steve – when a young osprey lands on a nest other than their own it’s possible it’s just there for a little bit, sometimes the nest family will feed it….in the case of adopted juveniles, there are times when a chick is rescued by a rehabilitator and when the chick is well it is placed in a nest with chicks close to the same age and the family adopts it as their own. Osprey are awesome that way!
I am in SE NC. Osprey nest I watch blew down last year & the chicks were killed. The parents returned this year and nested about 50 yards away. A new platform had been built but the didn’t like it. This years chicks are spending a lot of time on the new platform. Might they return one day? Would the parents let them nest so close?
Hi Sarah! Regarding the return of the chicks from this year, typically females don’t return to their natal area, but the males do, so if there is a male, it’s possible it could return to the area or the platform. If they aren’t banded it might be hard to tell if they are the same chicks from this year. Ospreys chicks stay south until they are 2 years old and don’t usually mate until they are 3 years old. I bet ospreys will eventually use the platform! I hope you get to see another successful season either on the platform or nearby!
How long after the babies learn to fly do they leave the nest? I have a pair that nested in a dead palm tree in my yard. They have 2 babies that are just learning to fly (havent flown yet, but its fun to watch the parents teaching them). The tree is DEAD and MUST be removed before it fall on one of the 2 houses it is between. I dont want to remove the tree until the babies are gone. Can someone give me an idea of how long? And YES, the tree MUST be removed.
THanks
Hi Rick – Usually, after chicks start flapping they fledge (meaning they fly away from the nest and back) around 2 weeks after that, but they will continue to return to the nest for probably, close to a month to 6 weeks after fledging. It varies of course, but just watch for when they no longer return to the nest after they fledge. At the nest in Sandpoint, the chicks typically fledge in August and leave in September. Thank you for waiting to take the palm tree down until they leave. The best time to take trees down for birds is fall after all have hatched and flown away, they nest is no longer needed.
THanks for the information. I should have mentioned I am in southern California. I just moved into the house, and it seems the tree has been dead for a while, so really need to cut it as soon as possible. If it falls, or even just PART of it falls, there are 2 houses it could hit, and I am liable.
I wont cut it until the 2 young ones are able to fend for themselves, but need to cut it as soon as I can after that. Once they leave the nest, would I be able to remove the tree without “hurting” the parents? I know they would have to nest elsewhere, but is this OK?
Thanks
Hi Rick – I sure can understand your need for the tree removal 🙂 The parents will continue to feed their chicks at the nest after they fledge, at least for a little bit, the chicks don’t immediately know how to fish, it takes a little while for them to learn. Also, he chicks will sleep at the nest for a couple weeks after they fledge and then may sleep away from the nest. Since you’re in California the ospreys are year-round residents so most likely will just hang around in the trees. You wouldn’t be hurting the parents, they would have to build elsewhere next season. Hope everything works out well for you and the ospreys 🙂
It appears that the 2 chicks that hatched about 3 weeks ago have not survived.
My question is, because it is early in the season hear in NH will the adults try to
hatch new eggs this summer or is it one and done each year?
Hi Raymond – Sorry to hear the chicks did not make it. Ospreys only bred once a season. So no more eggs until next spring.
We have an osprey nest in Seaside, Oregon where the dad got hurt with fishing hooks and a fishing line with a sinker attached. He has not been seen since 6/30/19. There are three chicks in this family. One of the chicks has died. It was viciously beaten by it’s two siblings, and had not eaten in two days. Yesterday the mom brought to the nest about 4 or 5 small fish. The second chick keeps the first chick from eating until it is stuffed, so the first chick does not get much to eat either. The mom left the nest around 12:30 PT and has not been seen since. The two chicks have not eaten today. My question is this. What can be done for these chicks if he mom has abandoned them, and who do we contact if they can be helped. It is a live cam with chat, and so many of us are heartbroken about what is happening at this nest.
Thank you for your advice in this matter.
Hi Cheryle – Such a sad situation. It’s often difficult for the female to care for 3 chicks when the male has disappeared. With the chicks being hungry the oldest and largest will fight for survival by keeping the other chicks from eating. It’s really hard to watch and often nothing will be done or can be done as this is common in nature. IF the chicks had fishing wire around them or hooks or things caused by man it’s possible a wildlife rehabilitator could rescue them. You might see if there is one in your area; they need to be a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You could also contact those that provide the cam to see if they have resources for rescue. The chicks cannot survive without food.
Good day! I watch the Seaside cam everyday. The #1 chick viciously attacked and killed #2 this morning. A male appeared this morning as well. We’re wondering if this is the original mate, or if she’d accept a stepdad. Thanks!
Hi Bob – If you watch the male to see how his behavior is around the nest, comfortable, or nervous, that might be an indication of whether or not it’s the mate to the female; and did he bring a fish…. I kind of think there has not been enough time for a new relationship with another mate, possibly? Some males travel a distance to fish or have their fish stolen by eagles which can keep them away for awhile…hopefully the last chick will survive and fledge!
Why do fledgling Osprey seem to pick at their under wing feathers?
Hi John – Osprey continually preen to bring out the oils for waterproofing in their feathers as well as just maintaining their feathers. Chicks do this to help the feathers in their growing process.
Why would an apparently successful osprey, which has raised young in the same nest for 4 years, abandon the nest in late June this year?
Hi Dan – I guess some questions would have to be answered such as, did their mate return this season? Were there eggs and chicks this season? If the ospreys did not meet up with their mate, it’s possible that they lost their mate and will be looking for another one or found another mate at a different nest….if there were eggs or chicks and the eggs didn’t hatch or the chicks didn’t survive they osprey most likely would be in the area but not at the nest a lot. I really don’t know the whole situation of the nest you’re referring to, but those might be some reasons why a nest would be abandoned.
Also, Dan, I was just thinking, there have been incidents of ospreys abandoning their nest due to black flies….not sure where you are located, but that can be a real problem for ospreys.
I live in Florida and I have an osprey nest in my backyard and today found, what I would say is a “toddler” osprey on the ground. It’s still very white and can’t fly yet, but walks and hops around. There are 2 more up in the nest. Is there anything I can do for it? There’s no way to reach the nest and I’m not going close to this guy as he has some impressive talons already. I’m afraid I have to leave him be but he’s just hanging out around the bottom of the tree and it’s breaking my heart. Thanks.
.Hi Jessica- Please call a wildlife rehabber in your area, the little one will not be save on the ground. If you get a towel and cover it and gently lift it and put it in a box somewhere safe until it can be helped by a rehabber, hopefully sooner than later.
Hello,
Some background:
We have three Osprey nesting platforms here in Salem (West), Oregon. Our local electrical co-op, Salem Electric, has erected at least two of these platforms within the city limits. One of the platforms they erected has a live cam setup and has a “live feed” to their YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=982mMK3lc6M
This live feed has been in place for two years. Last year, the first year of this live feed, the returning Osprey pair produced three eggs and all the eggs hatched and they raised three chicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cPs7jryXaU&list=PLfCXSqRlvp6nU7Q_zpTLe8rJ2yRBpru5u
This year started out as a repeat of last year, three eggs were produced. The first egg appeared on April 29th, with the second egg arriving on May 1st. The third and final egg arrive on Mary 5th. On May 10th there were only two eggs in the nest. A week later there was only one egg in the nest and by June 12th there were none.
Someone at Salem Electric did observe that one of the eggs was cracked open and there was a developing chick inside.
It is hard to know why this year’s brood didn’t survive to hatch. In general terms, it appears that Osprey eggs and other wild bird eggs can be affected by humidity. Rain is a big factor and how well the parents protect the eggs from rain (getting wet) and how well the bedding materials are at staying dry are factors. In a given location, some Osprey nests that researchers have direct access to have been found to have very wet nesting materials while others do not after periods of rain.
My question is now that there are no eggs for Osprey to tend, how long will they hang around their nest?
The Osprey pair are still visiting their nest. They continue to bring nesting materials to the nest, leaves, small twigs, and moss. It is always easy for me to anthropomorphize their behavior but I am guessing the reality is that their hardwired instincts are keeping them around. Their clock/schedule related to this season’s cycle is still running and may continue for some time even without any eggs for them to hatch and chicks to raise.
Thanks for any insights,
Phil
Hi Phil – that is disappointing that the nest failed this season. There seems to be several this season that have also failed. So many different factors can cause nest failure. When a nest fails and there are no eggs or chicks the adult ospreys usually go about their days fishing, hanging out and will come and go from the nest, but not stay there like they do when there are eggs and chicks. They build their nests to raise their family and it’s not a place they live in otherwise. So you most likely will see them from time to time until they migrate in August or September.
Hello,
I’m so thankful I’ve found your site. We have two Ospreys living on a platform very near our condo in Sarasota and have enjoyed watching they mate, have chicks, and grow. We now have one chick with either its mother or father.
My question is will the baby learn to fly on its own or does it need a parent around. This chick seems to have been left alone, is walking around the nest, and staring over its edge. Will he try to fly soon? Will the parents now abandon the chick? Will they fly and hunt together? When will the chick go off on its own?
Hi Barry – Yes, the chick will first hoover or helicopter above the nest and then take flight, which is called fledging. It will fly away from the nest but continue to return for feedings occasionally. Both the mom and dad will most likely feed the chick. The parents don’t abandon the chick, but do encourage independence by perching away from the nest, and leaving the chick more regularly, and the chick will learn to fish for itself and then leave the nest. Out West our osprey chicks stay around the nest for about 6 weeks before migrating. In your area they probably don’t stay at the nest but will find places to perch and fish.
I have an osprey that comes to the nest in my yard. It rarely gets in the nest, Most of the time sits on top of the platform above the nest. I have seen it occasionaly in the nest. Once in a while I have seen 2 of them but not very often. Is this normal for osprey?
Hi Constance – it sounds like a mated pair hasn’t taken the nest or nest site as their own. Unmated ospreys will perch different places and may even stay a little bit on a nest. It could be if you see two sometimes that a mated pair lost their nest, or chicks and now are just hanging out different places. It sounds like normal behavior for ospreys that do not have a mate, eggs, or chicks.
I recently witnessed very unusual behavior out of one local Osprey.
While I’m not anywhere near the geographic location on this project, this is one place I found that might be able to shed some light on what I witnessed. We have a decent population of non-migratory osprey that I’ve watched for years bringing in fish out of the bay.
Yesterday I observed an osprey being harassed by a pair of Mocking Birds, the large bird was not dissuaded returning multiple times. The neighbor had some small hens out, and this is was the only think I could think was interesting the raptor.
However, the bird soon plopped down in a small, thickly vegetated tree. A rather unusual place for an osprey, all while being pelted by what had increased to four mocking birds. Soon the osprey disappeared into the tree and the calls from the mocking birds became much more frantic. The osprey then burst out of the tree. As it flew low overhead, mocking birds in chase, it had what was unmistakably two small chicks in it’s beak.
What would drive this kind of behavior? Desperation?
Hi Notfox – Is it possible that this is a case of mistaken identity and the bird was a hawk rather than an osprey? Only occasionally, when fish aren’t available, will the Osprey eat small mammals, birds, or reptiles. However, the Osprey is highly specialized for eating fish and does not stray from this diet unless necessary. It sounds like the bird was being mobbed by the smaller birds because they felt threatened by it. A lot goes on in the wild that people don’t see, but this does not sound like Osprey behavior.
Port St. Lucie FL City Hall – We have had the same pair for four years running and has been a blessing to watch from start to finish. This year, our pair has given birth to two chicks.
They hatched around March 11th. The second one to hatch is considerably smaller than his sibling. They hatched (while heavy equipment was digging up and replaced the asphalt road underneath and right around the light pole that supports the nest). They were stifled during the fledgling stage because of the construction. The smaller one was reluctant to leave the nest. The other sibling hung around even after the parents were no longer in the area. The siblings have not been seen since last Thursday. Last evening, the smaller one returned to the nest. I’m hoping he learned his fishing lessons and sticks around. I get the feeling that his chances of survival are not great. What happens if a migrating osprey doesn’t migrate? Thank you for your love for the wild birds. I’m a big fan specifically of Swallow-tail Kites, Osprey, Hawks, and Vultures.
Hi Susan – Typically chicks hatch 2-3 days apart, and 2-3 days in the life of a chick does make a difference in size. However; I think maybe the chicks might have been a female and male. The males are smaller than the females and may be the reason you see a size difference in the two. It’s also very normal for the chicks to come and go from their nest. The osprey in your area most likely don’t migrate as there is plenty of fish in the area all during the year. They won’t stay around the nest but will stay in the area and learn to fish and survive on their own.
Osprey couple has been sitting on eggs in osprey nest seen from our deck since April 4. What is going on here? It has been 9 1/2 weeks? Not seeing any chicks, although Mom does poke below her at times. Could babies still be that small if they hatched? If eggs are nonviable, how long will she continue to sit on them? Do osprey ever lay a second clutch of eggs in same season?
Hi Diane – Not sure where you live, our ospreys laid their first egg April 28 and the 1st and 2nd egg hatched on June 6…typically the first egg will hatch 38 days after being laid and the rest of the eggs 36 days after being hatched, if they did lay eggs around April 4, they chicks would be very visible by now. It’s possible the eggs did not hatch or the chicks did not make it. It is too late in the season for a second clutch. Is it possible she laid the eggs later than April 4th? If there are chicks you should see the mother keeping them protected and the male bringing fish and the mother feeding the chicks. If you are not seeing that, either there are no eggs or they haven’t hatched yet. It is late though, for eggs to be hatching.
Have been watching two Ospreys all spring. This morning two very large ones ones seemed to be harassing the two in the nest. Then they landed thee seemed to be fighting while the female stayed hunkered down. Then the two intruders left one is STAYING on a nearby branch. I am so very concerned my two or their babies might have been injured. What to do I wish the leftover intruder would just GO AWAY
Hi Molly – if the mother is hunkered down, she most likely has protected the chicks and things may be okay. The male certainly will be looking out for the nest somewhere nearby. Sadly, all you can really do is wait and watch. If a chick should fall from the nest you should get help for it, but otherwise there isn’t anything to be done. This is the life of an osprey, always having to watch out, protect their territory and their chicks. It’s very possible the intruder will go away.
Been watching two all spring today two other Ospreys landed on their nest the four seemed to be fighting. Sick to my stomach that they or their babies might have been hurt????
Hi Molly – I bet that was concerning to watch! It is possible the chicks or their parents could have been hurt. You’ll have to observe and see if the parents stay at the nest and bring fish to feed the chicks.
We put up an osprey platform with sticks late last summer in hopes of attracting a mating pair spring ’19. Starting in early March, a pair appeared, added more nest material, mated frequently, defended their turf and presumably laid egg(s) based on the incubating behavior we witnessed. Mom sat on the nest and dad brought in food. We saw nest exchanges between the pair. We even think the chicks hatched, based on observing the parents behavior. They were no longer laying on eggs but standing up, seemingly tending to their young. Today, however, I’m not seeing anything or anyone. I keep checking but the nest is vacant and has been all day. Is this a sign that the chicks have likely died or were killed?
Hi Susan – Sure sounds like the season started out well for you, so sorry to read you’re not seeing the ospreys around now. I don’t know where you live, but I have read there are areas where the black flies are so bad they have actually driven the adult ospreys out of the nest. I hope that didn’t happen, but regardless, if you were seeing both adults and then no one, it’s possible the chicks were predated by an owl or some other predator…. Or the chicks did not survive due to lack of food, or died from a disease or unknown reason….once there are no eggs or chicks, the adult ospreys tend to leave the nest and only come by occasionally until migration. I would venture to guess they will be back next season and try again, I hope so and very sorry for the loss this year.
I’m watching the Cornell Site of Ospreys for first time. All three fledged today but later when I returned I saw two of them had RETURNED? So do they come back to the nest to eat? One of them had food the mother provided I suspect. But unlike other birds once gone from nest….gone…but do these come back and if so for how long do they revisit the nest and is only purpose to eat?
Hi Betsy Marie – You will see them come and go from the nest. For awhile they may even still sleep at the nest. Both mother and father (mostly father) will provide fish for them or they may even be lucky and catch one on their own. It does take them awhile, but they do become independent and then migrate on their own. They most likely will be around possibly 6 weeks after fledging. At the Sandpoint nest, chicks typically fledge around the 1st week in August and then are not seen after the 2nd week in September.
Do osprey parents pick up fledglings 3 weeks old and return them to nest?
Hi Barbara – there is really no safe way for ospreys to pick up chicks at any stage without hurting them. The only time I have seen this is when the chick has perished and they remove the deceased chick from the nest.
Do ospreys share the kill with the mate
Hi Kenneth – This time of year when couples establish their nest, the male does provide the fish for the female before she lays eggs and then for the female and chicks after the eggs hatch. When the chicks fledge sometimes both male and female will bring fish to the chicks and probably just provide for themselves away from the nest.
I’m sad and chagrined to even write this post: This is our 2nd year with an osprey nest. (We had a stand built on a low, existing piling ASAP last year when the male was trying to build on our dock bench).
Yesterday we had visiting kids & grandkids. Two chicks were observed in the nest. The adults and grandkids went swimming in the river for about an hour & a half. Mama osprey circled above, obviously upset. We thought she’d settle in and land back in the nest. This morning there were no chicks and both parents have abandoned the nest!!! We are guessing that this was too long for Mama to be away from the nest. We are so sorry about this! (Last year, we had lots of human activity on our dock and in the water but not till July 4th & on. The ospreys became accustomed to us.There was one chick hatched and fledged).
How should we proceed in the future? Should we get a piling put in further from the dock? Should we wait till July to use our dock and swim?
Hi Suzanne- Very sad that the chicks are gone as well as the adults! I would guess that the nest area was too low and too close to human activity. While ospreys adapt well to humans around them, I’m picturing this setting maybe too close. Ideally, platforms for ospreys should be as high as one can get them; ospreys when building a nest in the wild go for the tops of trees most commonly, of course they also nest in strange and dangerous places, too. If you are to put something out for them I would suggest something away from the dock and higher up. I am posting a link here with some ideas on how to build a platform for ospreys to nest on. There are probably many ideas out there. I do hope it all works out for you and the ospreys! http://www.roydennis.org/o/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/How-to-build-an-osprey-nest.pdf
So, I keep reading how osprey vision is exceptionally powerful, but a lot of the articles say that they use their senses, as in plural. What else do they use when hunting? How good is their hearing?
Hi Elena – Ospreys need all of the senses to survive in the wild. However, they do not hunt for their prey with their sense of smell. Their vision comes into play when searching for fish. If you’ve seen ospreys move their head from side to side, it’s called triangulation. This helps them focus in on what they are looking at in the water or elsewhere. I would think that being able to see would be most important and then hearing to sense what is around them would be very important, too.
A pair of osprey have come to the nest in front of our lake house for two years but do not pay any eggs. How old are Osprey when they begin to lay?
Hi June – it could be that you have a different osprey pair than a previous season, maybe young ospreys. Ospreys are able to breed when they are three years old. However, in areas where there are not enough nest sites, ospreys may not breed until they are five years old. Once they have begun breeding, ospreys breed once per year. (Poole, 1989; Poole, 1994) Non-migratory ospreys breed in the winter and spring and lay their eggs between December and March.
About how long after eggs are laid do the young hatch?
Hi Judith – Typically the eggs hatch any where from 34 – 40 days after being laid, although there are always variances, sometimes, 41 days….after that there could be a good chance that the egg won’t hatch.
Follow up of activity on nest with one surviving adult.
The nest now is totally destroyed. It’s in a heap on the ground at the bottom of the tower. I can only speculate on how it happened. I tried looking for eggs or remnants of eggs without disturbing the mess. I didn’t see any signs of eggs in any condition.
I have observed an Osprey returning to the nesting tower. Once with a catch but it didn’t stay very long before it flew off. A second time I observed an Osprey sitting on the perch beside the platform.
I didn’t have time to stay and observe it.
Is there still time to possibly find a new mate and begin all over??
This, like other nesting platforms in my area, has had returning pairs for several years.
Hi Leslie – Thank you for the update! Possibly other ospreys have been wanting the nest and in the process the nest gets destroyed. If there were eggs maybe Crows or Ravens may have taken them…regarding the female, most likely she will hang out around the area until time for migration and maybe during that time meet another osprey she can mate with next spring, or she’ll return in the spring and meet a mate. It is too late to meet a mate and start another nest this season. Hopefully she will return next spring and have or get a mate to start a family with. Sadly, for many nests, seasons don’t continually go as we hope they would.
On May 20th our Ospreys eggs hatched. Both male and female have been very attentive to the nest.The female has looked a bit “weathered”to me. We have been watching the birds daily from our window. I saw one bring a fish to the nest last night. This morning when we looked at the nest, both birds were gone. Later in the morning the female retuned for about an hour, and sat on the side of the nest, and just looked down in the nest for quite a while and then she flew away. Neither bird has returned. We are unable to see down in the nest. Why did they leave the nest. We have seen them in nearby trees. But they have not retuned to the nest. Thanks in advance for your in put.
Hi Janet – From what you shared, it sounds like maybe the chicks perished and the parents no longer need to use their nest. They may stay away from the nest for the rest of the season, or visit occasionally. If there are deceased chicks in the nest they may have removed them already or may do so at some point.
There’s an osprey nest on a bench at the end of our neighbor’s pier on the Chesapeake Bay. I was there today and there were two eggs on the deck and no osprey in sight. I picked them up with a paper towel and put them back on the nest. I’m not sure how long they were down. Do you have any guidance on what to do with fallen osprey eggs?
Hi Steve – I would imagine, if the eggs were not in the nest and no osprey were in sight that the eggs are no longer viable, I would leave them in the nest for nature to take care of. So many things could have happened, it sounds like the parents are no longer caring for the eggs.
Thank you very much for the quick reply! I actually think it could have been the strong winds yesterday that blew them out of the nest (how they didn’t crack when hitting the deck, I do not know). I will keep an eye on the nest to see if the adults return and maybe the chicks will hatch out. Thank you again. Steve
I was told at a lecture that ospreys take vacations–first mama then pops?…Any truth to that?
Hi Geoff- Typically female ospreys migrate first and then the males and they do not vacation together, but amazingly meet up in the spring where do their nestorations and raise their young!
Why would a osprey eat one of their eggs ten or so days before hatching?
Hi Cerys – while it isn’t seen often, it does happen, and I think in the cases I have seen the male has not been providing enough fish or is missing. Eventually, the female will have to take care of herself to survive, surprising she doesn’t leave to fish for herself and probably will if her mate doesn’t provide or return soon.
Can I post a photo on this site?
Hi Steve- there isn’t a way to post pictures on this site. Thank you for the update, I do hope the ospreys have a successful season with their nest where it is! We know they build nests out in the wilderness on tops of trees and snags, too bad platforms for nests didn’t grow like trees, power poles really aren’t ideal!
why would an osprey abandon its eggs as in Iris in Missoula-sad to watch after waiting all winter!
Hi Winnie- There are many factors that came into play at the Hellgate nest. Everyone knows that Iris is an experienced, capable mom. Louis did not provide consistent attention in caring for the nest, or providing for Iris. She had to abandon the eggs for her own survival. It’s not a cruel thing, if the eggs would have even hatched, the chicks surely would have suffered and perished from not enough food. A female usually cannot provide for 3 chicks and keep them safe all on her own. It is possible that Louis and Iris may not be a mated pair anymore and she is being a single, female, osprey now. When there are no eggs or chicks the ospreys do not spend much time at the nest site as the nest is built to hold eggs and chicks until they fledge. She is most likely doing what she did on her ‘vacation’ now, fishing and just hanging out. It is sad not being able to watch the progress of life at the nest, that particular nest has certainly seen a lot of sad and dramatic events over the last few seasons!
What will the female do if she is clearly sitting in her nest but her mate hasn’t returned? I saw a pile of black and white feathers down the road and I am convinced it was her mate. She is now sitting quite visibly on the nest which I haven’t seen before. So far it’s been about 3 days since the male was hit.
Can she hatch, feed, and reasonably protect young chicks and herself without a mate?
Would she give up incubating after a certain amount of time without help from her mate?
Hi Leslie – So sorry to hear that the female most likely lost her mate. If she is on her nest, she’s incubating eggs. She will have take care of herself so probably soon enough hunger will drive her to go fishing for herself. Sadly, if the eggs do hatch the chances are not good that she will be able to protect and feed her chicks. It would be better if they didn’t hatch rather than suffer hunger and predation. She may gradually spend more and more time away from the nest and let the eggs go. It would be educational for you to watch and see what she does do.
We have a platform that has been used for 13 years. This year the Eagles took over the platform for sitting during the winter . The Osprey returned and reclaimed their nest and the female was nesting for over a month. The Eagles returned and started fighting with the Osprey and now we only see one Osprey.
If the Eagle took the egg would the female leave the nest? Will the male just stay at that nest protecting his territory?
We have worked with our Ornithological Society and assist in banding the Osprey Chicks every July and not seeing two is very disconcerting.
Hi Carol – It is not out of the realm of possibility that the eagle could have killed one of the mated pair of osprey. Or that it met its fate another way. The 2 species have a long established rivalry. Without 2 parents, the osprey cannot have a family unit. Please observe what goes on at this nest, it could be the male will come back and forth or not come back to the nest if he doesn’t have a mate. With no eggs, there really is no reason to be at the nest…if one of the mates was lost, the surviving one could return to find a partner and re-establish the nest for themselves. Please keep up posted!!
We had two pair of osprey begin their nesting patterns on Mercer Lake near the Oregon coast. One pair reclaimed their nest from a Canada goose family and the second rebuilt in a tree where a previous nest had blown out in a storm. About two weeks ago, obnoxious jet skiers tormented all of us for 7 days straight, I noticed in the last week that both pair of osprey seem to have left. Is that a cause and effect from the jet ski behavior?
I am so sad that they have gone.
Hi Becky – I’m wondering how tall the nests were and how far from the water. The Sandpoint Osprey nest has the river right behind it and boat launch and it can get plenty noisy, but the nest platform is 100 feet tall and the ospreys don’t get bothered; also there are fireworks for the Festival in August and the ospreys do fine. It could be that the nests are close to the water and the skiers did cause disturbances. Osprey do tend to adapt to their situations but something like that might concern them. I would hope they didn’t leave their nests for good, they should have eggs! If they have left it’s also possible that they lost their eggs or there are none to keep them at their nest.
Do both males & females sit on the eggs?
Hi Judith! Yes! Both male and females incubate the eggs. Mostly the females, but it is such a wonderful arrangement…the males protect the nest even when they are not physically on the nest they are watching out from wherever they are perched, or they are fishing and bring the fish to the female, she then gets a break to go eat her fish and stretch her wings and the male gets to rest on the eggs! Considering the only time ospreys lay down is when they are incubating the eggs it seems like most males enjoy the time they get to rest on the eggs. Some males are quite comical and actually pull on the females feathers to get them to move 😀
If an osprey chick falls from a nest or is dislodged by a strong storm will the parents retrieve it and return it to the nest?
Hi Wayne, Ospreys really don’t have a way to get their chick up off the ground without hurting it…if a chick is found on the ground you should call a Wildlife Rehabilitator or call your local Department of Wildlife for directions and help.
The Hellgate osprey nest in Missoula, Montana has a nest with two eggs, but the male is taking care of another female in another nest nearby and now (last few days) only comes by occasionally, just to copulate as far as I have seen. The female is leaving the nest to get fish on her own. Is there any hope for her to successfully incubate and raise these chicks on her own?
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/
Hi Sherry, I know the nest you are referring to, it sure has seen a lot of sadness for the last few years. Many things can happen, but the chances are not really good that chicks could survive, maybe one chick, but without a consistent, providing mate, Iris would have to do all the fishing and protecting, which is really not the best scenario for a chick to survive. As hard as it is too see the eggs left unattended, now that Iris has been gone almost 5 hours from the nest, in this situation it might be best if the eggs don’t hatch rather than have chicks starve to death. It’s very sad. But, ospreys will do what’s best for them and Iris needs to survive.
I see osprey in souther Florida. They are having babies in winter months. Where do they go in the summer?
Hi Bonnie – Ospreys in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, and in the Caribbean stay throughout the year, since a reliable year-round food supply makes migration unnecessary.
Watching the Bellwood Lake Osprey Cam
Every time the male comes back to the nest he grabs the female’s wing feathers and pushes her off the eggs. He’s quite insistent about it. He seems to spend as much or more time on the eggs as she does. It’s been the same over the last couple of years. I’ve not seen him bring a fish at all this year only sticks and corn husks.
Is this common ?
Hi Karen – I’ve seen males pull on females feathers so that they can incubate. I’m sure he must be bringing fish, it’s too bad you haven’t seen a delivery. Sounds like he is a good mate, keeping the nest built up and sharing in the duties! It’s amazing how all ospreys have different personalities 🙂
We have a osprey next in a tower across the street. Last summer we were entertained by them as they waited for their eggs to hatch and watched as they raised their babies. They came back this year, repaired their nest and we were so happy to see them back. Then they started to do some work in the tower and now the birds are gone. Will they come back? I am heartbroken for them.
Hi Patricia – oh darn, it’s not likely they will be back and work on their nest as long as there are workers too close to where they nested. That is sad. The ospreys will need to find another place to nest this season. I wouldn’t be surprised if they return to the tower area where they had previously nested before, next season, though. I hope that works out for you and the ospreys!
I have an osprey nest next door to my house in a small mobile home park; the same pair returns year after year. There is a large black walnut tree in my yard and the often land there and tear up their catch before taking it to the nest. Two days ago I found a very large salmon laying on the ground in my backyard; not tear marks at all, it was quite dead but could not have been there for more than a day. Would an osprey even attempt to pick up a fish on the ground if it was still alive? And btw; we have all seen them bring in a rat or 2 and many lamprey eels, so, not only fish.
Hi Jennette – Too bad the ospreys lost out on that salmon!!! I haven’t seen ospreys pick fish up from the ground, when they are on the ground they are pretty vulnerable to attack from predators; however, they do scoop down and snatch up grass for their nests. I wonder if it has to do with maybe how accessible the fish is. They snatch their fish in the water while flying, I don’t know if they would land by the fish on the ground and claw into the fish and lift off. While their diet is usually pretty close to 100% fish, I know they get eel or other things in the water. Were the rats in the water? That is surprising!!
Hi there, love the webcam. Asking a question about a pair of Osprey here on the Chesapeake Bay. We have a pair (Frankie and June) that lost their nest of many years to geese this spring. So we worked with local conservation to install a replacement nest/nesting pole on a piling over the water. The pair – way behind schedule, the mother had already laid one egg on the ground – immediately took to the new nest; the male was building while the hen immediately perched inside. However, a young male has been challenging the couple for the nest (?) with the couple fighting him off. Yesterday was a big battle w/ the challenger fully in the nest wreaking havoc. I believe it was male mate vs. male challenger. Then one left. Then the hen (I think) finally came back into the nest, but immediately started calling frantically. When the mate showed up, they both were completely distraught. They kind of started taking turns sitting at the nest and “crying.” Then both flew off and now the hen refuses to sit on the nest as she had been doing all last week; no one stayed in the nest at night. The two are now sitting in their regular nearby tree, neither has been in the nest at all. Any insight into (a) what happened, and (b) is happening now / what to watch for?
Hi Al – It might be that the female was in a tree when it was time for the egg to be laid and it fell to the ground with no nest to lay it in…I just don’t see an osprey staying on the ground laying and egg which makes the female very vulnerable to attack. We often see ‘intruders’ at nests, males will fight off males and females will fight off females. If there are not eggs in the nest the adults don’t tend to stay around all the time. They are probably trying to establish this as their nest and will have to defend it and keep others away. The female may not lay any more eggs, but I would watch for her staying in the cup of the nest (if it is even completed?) which is an indication that there is an egg and she is incubating. It’s really sad when geese take over the ospreys nests, they have to go someplace and it sounds like you are seeing an example of what happens. You’ll just have to continue watching and record what you see, if they don’t spend time at the nest there won’t be chicks and this will probably start all over again next season. Here at the Sandpoint nest we have had great success with taking down the ospreys nest after migration so the geese don’t take it in the spring. While the ospreys have to build again at least they have their spot and the chances of a successful mating season are much greater!
Hi thank you so much. Appreciate the feedback. Yes we have learned a lot this season. As an update, the male and female have somewhat returned. They visit the nest routinely, however, the female no longer sits in the cup of the nest – as you described – which she had been doing immediately after we erected it last week as the new nest. They have continued to attempt to mate, and the male and female will sit at the nest for periods of time, but only briefly inside the nest. Mostly when they visit the nest, they sit either on one of the sitting posts or on the external edge of the nest, and only during the day. At night they return to the immediate trees just onshore (20 meters from the nest). So is it safe to assume there was an egg, which the hen was laying on, but it was destroyed during the attacks on the nest? Hence why, they are not on it so much?
Hi Al – If the female was laying on the nest for most of the time that is a very good indicator that there was an egg. The nest is used for eggs and chicks; without either the pair will only visit or hang out at the nest and not sleep in the nest bole (cup) of the nest. I was just thinking, with there being a kerfuffle, not only could an egg be damaged but it also could have gotten kicked out of the nest, so that would explain the egg on the ground. I don’t know how many eggs the female laid, usually 3-4 is the maximum. I know of one female who’s eggs were kicked out by her mate that returned late and laid 2 more eggs for a total of 5 (before his return she had mated with another male). That could be another scenario you have seen. Maybe the female mated with another male and her mate returned and kicked out the eggs. If the female hasn’t laid 3-4 eggs it’s possible she could still lay 1 or 2 more. Does this read like a soap opera? Such is the life of watching ospreys!
haha. Yes our entire neighborhood is attached to these birds. And it is a total drama. So just to clarify on the egg/ground thing as I may have misrepresented. I only know the details cause I happened to be home those days. So the original pair showed up on early March as per norm (almost to the day) in the same tree they always do. Their nest (~ 100 meters) offshore was soon taken by geese. After a couple attempts to regain the nest, the pair abandoned that nest but remained mostly confused in their tree making a few attempt to nest on our docks, but that didn’t work. The day before we were able to install the new nesting/pole, we awoke to the hen sitting on an intact egg on the ground in the tall grass by the riprap. she sat on it all night and all the next day. The next day @11 AN we installed the new nest. The male took to the new nest within 10 min but the female stayed on her egg in the yard until 6pm-ish that evening. Then all of a sudden she flew into the nest bowl (no egg or broken shells on the ground). The dog and I were in our yard close by watching. From then on, she didn’t leave the nest – until the most recent attack/kerfuffle – with both fully engaged in more mating and nest building.
So we will stay tuned to see if she lays any more eggs (with either her old mate or a scandalous new mate). Interestingly as well, there have been no more nest battles.
You are correct, a real soap opera. Next year we’ll install a webcam when we take down the nest to clean it out and keep geese away. Thanks for all your commentary and insights. Fantastic really. I will be certain to share with everyone anxiously watching the birds. Thank you and all the best.
The Coast Guard came to do maintenance on the local Columbia River marker; for approximately two hours; where the Osprey are nesting.
The three eggs; if not stolen, ( I believe they were) were exposed to air-and not protected for the endurance of two hours-could these eggs remain viable?
The female; who previously had came, and went; trading off with the male-refuses now to leave there nest at all. After the maintenance was completed the Osprey were so traumatized; that it broke my heart. For 45 minutes the couple would fly as though searching for a loss of eggs. The remainder of the day; both sat motionlessly on the nest-I’m still very upset.
Hi Robin- Oh my gosh….osprey nests are federally protected, was the Coast Guard touching the nest or working under it? Depending on the temperature, if there are eggs in the nest, they shouldn’t be left exposed for long periods of time, especially overnight. I have heard of delayed incubation, like for geese, where they delay incubating until all the eggs have been laid and then they will hatch altogether, I don’t think ospreys practice this, but they have been known to be off their eggs for awhile and all the eggs hatch. Did you see something, like a raccoon or some kind of bird damage or take the eggs? If you see the female chick laying on the nest it’s possible all will be okay, she may stay there incubating, even if the eggs don’t hatch. If the eggs are gone, the ospreys could build a frustration nest elsewhere, or just come and go from their nest until they leave for migration.
I’ve seen geese occupying an osprey box the last few weeks of April. Will osprey successfully chase the geese from these boxes when they return to nest? Can osprey compete with geese for these nesting sites?
Thanks, Dover ID
Hi B. – Anything is possible! I have seen ospreys successfully evict a goose off a nest after the goose had laid an egg! However, here we have seen geese take over the osprey nest without success from the ospreys to remove them and right after the first family jumped with their goslings another goose family moved in and laid an egg right away and the season at that nest, for the ospreys, was over. If you’ve seen geese in the osprey nest for a few weeks, chances are the ospreys have not evicted them and the geese will stay until their eggs hatch.
Sorry replied to a post and didnt post my own comment. Theres a nesting pair in my school parking lot on a light post. They successfully fledged a pair of chicks last year. They are back with two chicks this year…only in the last 3 days ive only seen one being fed and no sign of the other. Have they lost the chick or is it normal for chicks to go through long periods of inactivity.
Hi Cason – It’s possible that maybe one the chicks didn’t make it, either to lack of food or illness. Sometimes when the fish supply isn’t ample, the parents will feed the strongest chick first and the littlest looses out and just doesn’t get enough to sustain life. When chicks are young, they mostly just eat and sleep. As they get older they will waddle around the nest some. If both are healthy I would expect that kind of activity from them.
Hi. I am watching two osprey webcams in Scotland. Whilst one pair are now sitting on three eggs and everything seems to be going well, the other pair have gone missing for nearly 40 hours now. They had been mating and back on the nest for about 8 days, but no eggs laid. Do they sometimes roost elsewhere than on the nest, or have they perhaps abandoned the nest? Feeling quite concerned… No
Hi Melanie – that does seem out of character for ospreys preparing for eggs….it could be so many things, they could be a young, inexperienced osprey couple, when they are in the process of building a nest, they aren’t always on the nest, and never on the nest at night. The nest is built for eggs and chicks. I suppose it could be possible that are using a different nest and maybe the one you’ve seen them on is an abandoned nest they just hang out at times. It could be something happened to one or both of them.
Hello,
We put up an osprey platform in the late fall. About a month ago, an osprey pair showed up and built their nest. They would show everyday on and off but recently have been skipping days here and there.Is is likely they’ve built a nest elsewhere?
Hi Tina – not sure where you live, but sounds like possibly in the east area? Maybe they are a new couple just establishing their relationship. I know when the nest is first being built the adults don’t stay on the nest at night, but once the eggs are laid the female will be there except when the male gives her a break. Maybe there just isn’t an egg on the way yet? I would say if they keep this up it’s possible there won’t be any eggs and they have maybe established their nest for next season!
Hi, We live on Siltcoos Lake in Oregon. We have had the same pair nesting outside our home for the last four years. This year the male did not come back. Last year the female got a hook caught in one of her talons. She is now favoring it all the time and stands perched on 1 foot generally speaking. We are very concerned about her. She seems to be in pain. Can you tell us what happens to a female when a male does not come back to the nest. And is there anyone who could help her with her injury?
Hi Terri – So sorry to hear that the male you’ve watched has not returned and also about the female with the injured talon. I know birds can sometimes fight off infection, their temperature runs higher to help with that, is the hook still there? Sometimes birds stand on one leg, it’s called, Rete mirabile, it’s an adaptation that minimizes heat loss. By standing on one leg, a bird reduces by half the amount of heat loss through unfeathered limbs…maybe this could be what she is doing? It’s very hard to capture an adult that is able to fly, if she were to end up on the ground I would call a licensed raptor rehabilitator or the Department of Wildlife in your area. If all is okay with this female a single male could very well try to catch her attention this season and if she accepts they could become a couple.
Ospreys have been building a nest for the last few years on top of a utility pole in Branford Ct. The town took the cross member down during the winter to prevent further nesting. I’ve been seeing an osprey sitting on top of the pole several times in the last two weeks. Will he/she be able to find another nesting spot? He/she keeps trying to put twigs on top of the pole which just falls off. It looks so sad.
Hi Steve – wow, that is sad! I know ospreys are very loyal to their nests, I think if they are unable to build one in their familiar location they will find another suitable place.
Despite the power company’s attempt to thwart the building of a nest atop a utility pole, an osprey, whose mate showed up shortly after my April 16 post, successfully built a nest. There was a short piece in a local paper saying the nest was coming down because of this danger or that, but these majestic, undaunted, persevering noble birds beat the odds and I look up every day during my commute to watch their progress.
Our new neighbor installed a dusk to dawn security street light at waters edge when he built his dock .he also installed osprey pole and platform .next door dock platform has had successful nests every year …this year the 2 pair rwho are esidi g on these nests near that light are way behind in their nest construction:ie ..hardly any thing on the platforms, and 2 birds on each platform just standing around…so are they sleep deprived or something from the all night led light?
Hi Norm – I don’t think it would be the lights….often after ospreys arrive they take a few days to just get reacquainted and occasionally bring sticks and then before you know it they are moving a lot more and getting the nest built not long before the eggs arrive.
Hi, I have had an osprey nest for 18 years now and this is a first. I had two adults and five days ago she started laying on her eggs. Now all of a sudden there are three adults in the nest and they are getting along fine. What goes? Diana
Hi Diana – This situation has been seen at other nests. Usually you would think the nest pair would keep away any and all ospreys, especially when there are eggs or chicks! It could be that the other osprey is possibly an off-spring or the pair knows there is no threat from the visitor.
I have been watching the Dahlgren Osprey cam. What would cause an osprey to fill his nest with stuffed animals. It is almost like he thinks he is filling the “pantry”. 1st egg laid on 4/1/19 I believe.
I have seen the many contributions the male at Dahlgren has brought to the nest. Richmond from the SF nest brought a stuffed snake, a stuffed monkey, and a baseball cap, Stan from Hellgate brought a tube of Sensodyne toothpaste, a Royal Crown velvet bag cover, and, Pete from the Sandpoint nest has added a motorcycle license holder, a glove, and an old dead potted plant to the nest (which sadly covered the egg and was not able to be moved so the egg didn’t hatch) Ospreys will grab things they see and bring it to a nest without really know knowing any danger could be involved, such as plastic and bailing twine. It’s just what they do to keep their nest built up, not really knowing it shouldn’t be there. People can really help by keeping trash and objects away from nesting sites (and everywhere for that matter)….in the case of the Dalhgren cam it’s almost as if someone is leaving the stuffed animals around on purpose to see if the ospreys will take them to the nest. It is concerning to me because they could run out of room and possibly cover an egg. Hopefully people in the area will clean up around the nest site and encourage others not to throw objects out that ospreys could pick up.
As you may know, two of the three eggs didn’t hatch at Dahlgren. Cam watchers thought they were damaged in an intruder tussle, but no one could see for sure. My feeling is that they were so deep in the pile of plushies that the adults couldn’t incubate them…or perhaps even find them. This was clearly caused by inconsiderate people. Osprey can’t pick up items that aren’t there..
Hi Tyra – a sad situation loosing 2 eggs. I think you make a good point about all the stuffed animals in the nest. I really hope that people in the area of that nest will make sure it’s ‘osprey safe’ and remove any kind of trash around there. There were just too many stuffed animals, it was as if someone put them there to see if the ospreys would pick them up! Hopefully this won’t happen again next season!
An osprey couple built a nest last year in a tall dead pine tree in my back yard, ( NC-Cape Fear coast ). Thunderstorms last summer damaged their nest tree to such an extent that’s it’s essentially unusable for nest building. On March 11, 2019, the osprey couple returned, precisely, to their former, compromised, tree. I watched them attempt to build a nest, but the materials would simply fall out of the tree. The couple remained around this tree for a few more days, then there was only one that stayed around for a couple more days. I built a nest platform over the winter, in the same area, anticipating the problems they were going to encounter with the old nest-tree. However, they have shown no interest in the new platform. I’ve not seen the pair in the last few days, but I’ve seen three ospreys, on a couple of occasions, in my immediate area, performing the “aerial dance”, but they’ve also vanished. I don’t know what it all means. I wonder if the original pair gave up on the area, or if the pair separated for lack of a suitable nest-site, or maybe if it’s all still in a state of flux and development. I’m hoping they will remain in the general area, just a slightly different location.
Hi Bobby – if the mated couple returned to their nest site and were unable to rebuild, the drive to mate and produce eggs surely would drive them somewhere else to build. That would be hard to watch them not being to able to successfully build the nest in same place. I hope they discover the platform and build there or at least another osprey couple discovers it! Please let us know!!
Last year, a couple of the osprey in the nest across the road from us, was hit by a severe hail storm, killing maybe one adult and two little ones. I think think the carcasses are still in the nest. Will the returning osprey nest there this year?
Hi Michael – I would guess they would either remove the carcasses or build a nest over them, provided the single osprey finds another mate.
We just saw a dead Osprey and a live osprey up on the Nast what the dead osprey was on the ground a ways away from the nest what will happen to the remaining osprey
Hi Molly – Sad to hear about the deceased osprey, the living osprey will likely try to find a new mate. If no mate is found it will finish out it’s season before migration and then when returning from migration continue searching for a mate.
Hi there, we live on lake Oconee in Georgia. We are fortunate to have a large Ospray population. I have enjoyed watching them over the years. We have a couple of Ospray that build their nest on top of a chimney across the cove last year. Well I guess the home owners didn’t appreciate that and this year they had a “nest proof” top put on their chimney. Well the couple returned to build over a week ago and have continued unsuccessfully to try and build their nest. The sticks just slide off. It’s kinda sad to watch. How long will they keep trying? Will they eventually move on to another spot? Thank you so much! Vicki
Hi Vicki-I’m not sure how long the Ospreys will try to build there, but they will have to move on to a place that will allow them to build a nest that has a solid bottom for the eggs. Too bad the owners of the home didn’t build an osprey nest platform nearby for them to build on. Hopefully there are trees or another area for them to make their nest.
Hello. We have a osprey nest being built all day today by only one bird here in front of our house on the Neuse River, Havelock, NC. Two days ago we saw two birds working together on the nest. But today it looks like only one. We are feeling a bit concerned that the other bird is alright and wondering if this is typical if their behavior? Gail
Hi Gail – Typically a male and female will build their nest together, with mostly the male bringing the sticks, although the female will contribute, also…it could be what you are seeing is two osprey attempting to establish a nest, maybe things didn’t work out and they are looking for mates…it could of course mean something happened to one of them…if it is the female bringing materials to the nest, it could be that the male is on a longer fishing expedition. I haven’t observed a male building a nest without a mate before. I would love to know the progress of the nest and if a couple settle in to the nest!
how do osprey fight
Hi Laura – When ospreys are in their nest and see an intruder or enemy they usually either take off after them to defend their nest or they will stay on their nest and slightly bring out their wings, kind of like the Hulk…showing their possession of the nest and protection of their family. I have seen pictures of ospreys in the air facing eagles with their talons out when necessary. I would think for the most part they avoid fighting and most interaction with intruders would be flying after them to keep them from the nest.
Do osprey pairs stay together while not at their nest (i.e., not during the mating/nesting period)?
Hi Dave – Osprey pairs go their separate ways after their chicks have fledged and vacation separately; hopefully meeting up at their nest together in the spring 🙂
Our ospreys are back, but still have not laid any eggs. We are in Venice Florida and it’s already the end of February. Do you think they’ll not brood st All this late? Last year they had two babies who survived only a few weeks
Hi Mary Kay – They could still breed into March in that area….so there is still some time. Do you think they are the same ospreys that have been there before? If they are not an established couple, it could take a little longer, too. I sure hope they have a successful season!
Hi Osprey watchers…I have an Osprey nest in a tree in my front yard here on Merritt Island Fl. The male arrived months ago. He built his nest which is pretty large now. The female arrived just 2 weeks ago (Jan). They are beautiful! The male has started a sky dance which has been amazing to watch. Female has inspected the nest; he brings new sticks often. There is constant chatter with high pitched screaming and whistling (I can hear from in the house). This is the first time we have had Osprey nest in the neighborhood…there have been eagles here. Don’t know if they will produce eggs this year since it is the first time we’ve seen a nest. Thought it might be a new pairing. Should we notify Florida Wildlife that they are here? My garden is very near the nest..as I work in it, they watch me from above. Love watching them and have set up my camera to capture the experience.
Susanne in Merritt Island
Hi Susanne! That would be so exciting to have nesting osprey nearby where you can watch them! I’m not sure that you would have to call Florida Wildlife….I would keep their number close by, though, in case something comes up where the osprey may need help, but just watch them live their life and raise their young! I sure hope they have a successful season and please, if you can, let us know how things go! 🙂
We live on an inland waterway north of palm beach florida. An osprey couple have been on the same pole/nest in the marsh for 4 years- always appears to be the same couple. They are building a nest over the past week, and this morning we awoke to see a 3rd adult osprey on the pole in the marsh keeping about 3 feet of distance between itself and the couple. We have never seen another bird join the couple. Is this likely a random single adult looking for a mate, or is this possibly one of the couple’s offspring from previous years that has returned to its home nest to hang out with its parents?
Hi Howard! I think you are probably right! It could be the osprey you are seeing is either an osprey looking for a mate or an offspring from previous years. The osprey could also be none of the above and just an osprey hanging out 🙂 I hope the couple that you are able to watch have a successful season with all the offspring surviving!
An osprey sits at the top of a tree behind our house. At times, it chirps as if calling for a mate. Do you think that is what is going on? It is a large bird so possibly a female.
Hi Mary and Happy New Year! I’m assuming you live in an area where there are ospreys year ’round? If that’s the case, since it is mating, nesting season in Florida, yes, the female could be calling to her mate, continuing to let him know her needs, however, if you live in an area where ospreys migrate to, she wouldn’t be calling to her mate as they do not ‘vacation’ together. She could be chatting with other ospreys in the area. Here is a link to Cornell Lab which offers a couple of osprey sounds. Maybe you have heard these and will know whether it’s an alarm call or just a different type of call! https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/sounds
Hi! I’m watching a pair of osprey attempting to build a nest in a branch of a tree with no success! He brings stick after stick and can’t get any in place for a foundation. What happens next and is there any way I can assist?
Thank you, Cheryl
Hi Cheryl! The couple you are watching may very well be an inexperienced pair. If there are no platforms around for them to build on, they will find something to build their nest on. They prefer to be at the top of trees or structures and could possibly move to another location. Hopefully they will find the right spot. I’m sure it’s wonderful being able to see them.
I’ve been watching 5 or 6 Ospreys working the beach this week in Cocoa Beach Florida. They seem to have been not too successful catching fish and I’m thinking it must be due to the Red Tide in the last few weeks that led to massive fish kills along the coast. How often do they need to eat ,to keep up their strength to stay alive?
Hi Terry – I suppose it would depend on the size of the fish as to how many an osprey would need to eat each day, less if a large fish is caught and maybe more if the fish is not so big. I’m sure hunger would drive the osprey to fly other places if fish are not available in the area. They do sit and watch for hours at a time. They could be passing through on their way to finding better fishing grounds.
Hello, how many fish do ospreys eat per year? Thanks
Hi Kay – It’s hard to say, but you could maybe figure 3 fish a day x 365 = as many as they want 🙂
I have an Osprey that has been perched in the tallest tree behind my house for days now. I live in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida. Is the Osprey ok? It is bothering me because I have a small dog and I have read that they will attack small animals for food. I know that their diet is mainly fish. I see no other signs of movement, it just sits atop the tree.
Thank you,
Jean
Hi Jean! Osprey, as well as other birds, do just hang out looking about when they aren’t fishing or flying. They are not nesting now so do have plenty of free time, like other birds, sitting somewhere is what they do 🙂 I don’t think you need to be concerned about an osprey possibly attacking your small dog, as you said their diet is very close to 100% fish. I would be more concerned if it were an eagle or hawk! Hope you enjoy watching an osprey so close to where you are!!
Why do ospreys make their nests out of palm tree parts? Most osprey nests we see usually are.
Hi Ross – you must live in an area where there are palm trees 🙂 Ospreys use materials around them to build their nests. I saw a nest from the eastern shore that had a sandal in it and also a bikini top was used in the nest. Here at the Sandpoint things are for the most part very clean, but when the Ontario Street nest chicks were rescued there was a pair of men’s undershorts in it! 🙂
Seems that 9ne Osprey baby is left befind. It cries constantly. It can fly and does. What will happen?
Hi Joseph! Often one chick stays around in the nest after it fledges. It is just asking for food and hanging out. It will migrate when its instincts kick in to head South.
Is it normal for an Osprey to sit on the deck fence, less than 8 feet from our door. They was an Osprey nest last year on utility pole by our deck. The bird has been sitting for about 2/3 hours.
Hi Jackie – Ospreys do spend a lot of time just hanging out and observing. It must not feel threatened or unsafe or it wouldn’t stay there! How lucky for you to be able to observe one so close!
It is 9/6/18. We have been watching an osprey nest in Mussel ridge channel, Penobscot Bay, ME with at least 4 birds in it thru our telescope. Then there were none. A week ago , the nest for a time seemed empty. now a single osprey is on the nest most of the time. We assumed it was the last of the fledglings to leave, now we are seeing THRU the telescope what may be a chick In addition to the osprey. It seems very late for a chick to hatch.
Is it possible that eggs would be hatching at this late date?
Hi Betsy, when you say chick, do you mean, small, gray, and fluffy? It is way too late for that area to be hatching any chicks. Could there be a deceased chick in the nest that you are seeing?
We are much too far away to tell . The osprey on the nest does not ever seem to leave. Whatever we saw the other day on the nest that was gray and fluffy, is not visible now. No other birds have been seem landing on the nest.
Hi again, Betsy- It’s not unusual for fledglings to sit on the nest for long periods of time, when not fishing or going someplace. They just hang out. There could be different ospreys perching there as they pass by, also.
Hello,
Three Osprey fledglings did very well. All started flying about 3 weeks ago. There is one which remains. It flys around and makes calls but no siblings or parents around. Can you tell me why it is still around? Alone
Hi Deborah! Some fledglings are just a little slower at getting moving, I’m sure instincts will kick in and send it on its way when it’s time. It could be the siblings and parents are still around or slowly making their way to where they end up for the winter.
Will a nesting pair destroy their nest once the fledgling is up and about…our nest was here today and 80% gone the next….parents and young one remained around for about 10 days after
Hi OT! What happens is in the springtime the osprey couples build their nest for eggs and chicks, once the chicks fledge, which is flying away from then nest and back the nest is used less and less. The chicks will fly in for food or to sleep and eventually not even come to the nest but eat and sleep away from it before the leave to fly south. The nest really gets torn up by the landings and take-offs and scuffles for fish. If the couple survives to return next spring, they will build the nest back up for a new set of eggs.
We have an osprey perched on a six ft post about 80 feet from house. We are on Baie de Chaleurs Quebec canada where we enjoy them all summer. We have never seen this before. It has been sitting there for two hours. Could it be unwell? Thank you
Hi Lally! It’s possible the osprey is beginning it’s migration, heading south. Most ospreys when they are no longer needed in the nest perch elsewhere and most likely for long amounts of time if they aren’t fishing. They even sleep sitting up. I think everything is probably okay with the osprey you have seen on the post. I would be concerned if the osprey were on the ground for 2 hours and didn’t fly off. If that were the case you should contact a wildlife rehabilitation center.
I have a home on the coast in Downeast Maine. At what time In the tide do the ospreys normally fish ( ie. high tide , low tide, incoming or outgoing)
Thanks
Hi Sandy – I’m not familiar with the tides and osprey, but osprey usually fish in up to 3 foot depths, so I would say they would fish whenever the water was at least that deep.
I work on a paving crew in Spokane Wa and a few months back we were paving douth of CHeney, and while working I noticed a Pair of Ospreys and their nest, I wax back there today and noticed that the nest was gone but one of the birds was perched on the platform. Is this common??
Hi Craig- Nest don’t usually disappear unless it was removed by someone, or weather deteriorated it or it is possible that there were chicks that have fledged. Their flying in and out of the nest as well as grabbing for fish being delivered can really break apart the nest. If there are still fledglings they most likely only stop by the nest occasionally hoping for a fish delivery or just taking a break there. Migration is not far off the ospreys now. You also could be seeing a different osprey and not the original ones that nested there.
This may be a stupid question, but I’m gonna ask it anyway. I like flounder, but It doesn’t mean I like all fish. Since you are following loads of pairs of Ospreys, have you ever noticed that although they are eating a fish it may not be their favorite? I thank all of you who give us a look into the day-to-day life of a magnificent bird.
Hi Mary! I think it was one of our ospreys that said, “I’ve never met a fish a didn’t like” 😀 Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint has many different fish and we have seen these getting eaten totally, even koi that has been taken from a residents koi pond. They don’t purposely throw a fish back after they catch one in hopes of getting a Kokanee 🙂 When they migrate they will most likely eat fish that are different than what is available in Idaho. Fish is all they eat so anything is better than nothing.
I notice on the two web cams I follow that at night now maybe one parent or no parent, just the chicks that now leave the nest in daylight. So do the Ospreys hunt fish at night is my question.
Hi John! I have seen a fish delivery closer to dark being delivered to the nest, but I don’t think they typically fish at night. When we watch the cams, sometimes it looks darker than it is in real life at the nest.
We have an osprey nest with two fledglings. I read where the females typically leave a month before the males do. It appears the female has left, as we no longer see four birds on the nest. What we observed the last week is two ospreys scuffling on the nest, with one always losing and flying off. Am thinking the papa osprey, now that moma osprey is gone, is kicking the fledglings out of the nest. Is that what is happening ? Thanks
Kill Devil Hills, Outer Banks
Hi Geof – most likely what you’re seeing is two fledglings going after a fish delivery from dad or one going for a fish the other one has. The father osprey spends very little time at the nest, but will still provide fish for the chicks, although at a much reduced amount once they fledge. It’s all for one at this stage in the nest!
Helpful page! I’ve been Osprey watching for a couple of months now, on the West River, Maryland. Since I’m a cruiser, I have an opportunity to watch them on the water. Oddly enough, over the past month/month and a half, there is one male Osprey that has taken a shine to our sailboat home. It doesn’t seem to matter where in the anchorage we settle. He finds us. It’s to the point that even when we are on deck, playing music and waking around, he’s happy as can be. It seems we are his ‘loafing’ perch. The past two days, we’ve been calling him ‘Squeaks’, as he’s regularly doing the guard call when other Osprey come near us, or other birds. Typically Turns and Gulls.
Usually, other Osprey see humans and either fly away or holler. Depending on nest or mast. As I type this, Squeaks is back on his perch.
Is this unusual behavior for an Osprey? I’m thinking perhaps he’s a younger bird, potentially without a mate. I’ve yet to determine where his nest is however. He seems quite content on our mast, and sometimes the spreaders.
Thanks in advance for your time and input.
Hi Laura – it seems we always learn something new about ospreys and while you think they would stay away from humans they do adapt well being in settings where there is activity and humans! If this osprey has white tips on it’s feathers it would be a fledgling or juvenile, and as you said, could be a 2 year old without a mate looking for a free ride on your boat! Enjoy being able to see them closely!!
Hi, I have been watching an osprey couple over the course of this breeding season. They had one chick that had almost fledged. Unfortunately, the recent, constant, and heavy, rains, (NC coast) weakened the nest causing a complete collapse / failure a couple days ago. I found the chick, at the base of the nest-tree, on the ground, and it appeared uninjured. Checking with the local Raptor Center, they advised for me not to do anything, and that its parents knew its location and could attend to the chick on the ground, the same as in the nest. And, at this point in the season, this chick may have flown. Also, that if the chick was removed, it could never learn to fish, without the aid of its parents. Mother nature can be tough. Hoping for the best.
Hi Bobby!
Different stages in the chicks life would warrant a different type of rescue. Hopefully this one was able to fly to safety!
Hello. Will a fledgling ever return to the nest when it first leaves or just hang out nearby begging for food We just watched a nestling leave the nest for first time on live camera. Will we see that bird again?
Hi Mike! So great you were able to see an osprey fledge!! The young osprey will return to the nest if all goes well for it as it learns to fly with confidence. They usually still get fed by the parents, as well as sleep at the nest off and on and could be around for up to a month after fledging. Ours in Sandpoint typically migrate around the 1st or 2nd week in September.
Great site; learning from other Q&As! One osprey around our small lake has begun to cry out incessantly around 3 or 4 a.m., wsking up many neighbors. Not sure if something’s wrong with it?
Hi Kim – Around this time of year it’s very possible the osprey is a juvenile in the nest that hasn’t fledged yet and is calling for food or can see their parent with a fish in a nearby tree. Parents seem to withhold food a little longer during this fledging window to encourage the off spring to take flight.
We are watching 5 ospreys for a while. Parents and 3 babies. Two of the babies are flying around, but the 3rd one is on the ground, walking and flopping its wings, but not returning to the nest. Could he be hurt, kicked out of the nest or just not ready yet.??
Hi Maynard – Ospreys don’t spend time on the ground and if there is a chick on the ground I would say that something could be wrong. I don’t know where you live, but you should call a Wildlife rehab in your area as soon as possible. To keep the chick safe until then gently cover it with a towel and get it in a box to keep it safe from predation.
Do osprey normally have two babies. And in the case of a third, is the smallest/weakest called the runt and kicked out of the nest ?
Hi Geof – Ospreys ‘typically’ lay 3 eggs. If all 3 eggs hatch the youngest usually has to work hard for survival, but it wouldn’t be ‘kicked’ out of the nest but may experience some show of dominance from the older chick. Sometimes this can be severe and it’s called siblicide, where usually, the oldest, keeps the youngest from eating and can be quite brutal. This happens more often when food is not frequent or abundant. We have 3 very healthy chicks fledging at the Sandpoint nest and some nests have had 4 eggs and all have survived.
Do baby ospreys come to the same area of their parents the following year after they fledge?
Hi Bob – once osprey chicks fledge they migrate to a location where they stay for 2 years. Then considered adults, the males are more likely to return to their natal area, not necessarily their parents nest.
I have been watching an Osprey nest in Orange Ct fir a few months now. They are amazing! For the last week I have been unable to get to the area until today and it seems that the nest is empty. I see crowa going in and out of the nest. The last tI’m I saw the osprey it seemed that a large seagull was buzzing the nest and doing inflight combat with the osprey. We dId have a huge thunderstorm last night but that shouldn’t bother them. Any clue?
Hi Susan- Not knowing the whole situation for the season this far, I wonder if there were chicks, did they survive, if there were no chicks the parents would spend most time away from the nest. If there were chicks and they did survive it’s possible that they have fledged, taken flight from the nest and now are flying around the area. When chicks first fledge they do return to the nest to feed, but can be fed away from the nest and eventually will sleep away from the nest and then one day they will be on their own.
how often and at what time of day will the osprey feed theyre young,,they came late march and have 2 chicks about 2/3rds the size of the adults now..theyre walking around the nest and spreading theyre wings often.
Hi Larry – usually there seems to be feedings in the mornings, and later afternoons into early evening. Since the chicks are older, you may see the deliveries slow down. While the parents will deliver a fish to the nest the chicks will soon fledge and then also begin to want the fish for themselves and start self-feeding, as they spend more time away from the nest, learning to fish, there are not as many deliveries. Some may get their fish while learning to fish and some may get fed away from the nest, with not as many fish being brought to the nest.
SE Cape Coral is experiencing green algae plumes in the canals the last two weeks. The osprey family of five, have been gone a week now. Is there a correlation?
Hi Karen – if the osprey family of five has been gone for a week, it sounds like all the chicks have fledged, it could be that they are in trees and being fed somewhere else or fishing on their own in clearer waters, I would assume that the green algae plume would make it hard to see fish in the water.
we have an osprey nest in our backyard and every year its the same thing yet this year something has happened. One of the babies was dead on the ground at the bottom of the nest, there is 1 left in the nest yet I don’t know if its the mother or the other baby. I don’t see the male fly in I don’t hear the usual chirping. Have the parents left the living baby behind in the nest by itself? have not seen the male all day
Hi Laurie – I’m assuming the chick that was on the ground was small? It could have died from illness or starvation and the parent removed it from the nest or there could have been predation on the nest by possibly an owl and the chick somehow ended up on the ground. It’s hard to know for sure what happened, something could have happened to one or both of the parents…if the chick in the nest has not fledged yet, it still will need feeding by the parents.
I have been watching Rachel and Steve on Hog Island and because she lost a chick the night before she stayed up all night to defend them. How long will she be able to go without any sleep?
Hi Cyndi! Most wildlife have to sleep with one eye open, so to speak, always being aware of things in their immediate vicinity. With Rachel staying on the nest, chances are she does sleep, but can still be aware, more so than if she is a distance from the nest. Just her presence there, might be a deterrent to an owl. Fingers crossed for no more predation at that nest!
I have two questions:
We have had a pair of nesting Osprey for a number of years either in our tree or a neighbors tree.
This year for the first time they seem to be tearing the nest apart. We are used sticks on the ground during construction but now that the chicks are flying there is a large amount of sticks on the ground.
Any thoughts on why they would be destroying their own nest?
For years they nested in our tree, we even put a platform up for them as the storms tended to damage the nest. But for some reason for the they have nested in other trees all within 200 feet of the orig nest. Why?
Hi Lee! If the chicks are flying and landing in the nest, the nest does get flattened and changed from a place to hold eggs and chicks to more of a landing pad. The nests are typically rebuilt in the spring. Could it be a different osprey couple building nests in the trees around the nest?
Thank you, that makes a lot of sense.
We don’t know if they are the same pair but for several years a pair always nested in our tree.
Then three years a pair built a nest close to our tree and then two years now a pair have used a different tree.
While the Osprey may not have seen it the same way we did, it was amazing to watch them defending their ‘air space’ from a pair of Bald Eagles. The flight maneuvers where stunning and how they managed to chase off the eagles with no contact.
Hi Lee! It could be that maybe something happened to the female from the pair that nested in your tree and the male went looking for another mate, so the nest is not being used anymore by them.
When you see the difference in size between the eagles and the ospreys, it really is amazing how determined and protective the ospreys are! Beautiful to watch, I of course, always root for the osprey 🙂
Fascinating and a bit like we humans! Another question; we watched a chick die this season from starvation; the little dead body laid in the nest for quite awhile. How is it disposed of? Thanks very much.
It is amazing, Sandy! When chicks perish in the nest it will either eventually be removed or left in the nest. I have seen both scenarios. I think as a cam watcher, it’s easier to view if the chick has been removed, but the female decides what is best and if left in the nest, the chick becomes part of the nest and eventually out of view.
The Charlo nest cam is currently covered with poo as the babies take careful aim over the side of the nest. how do they know to poo outside of the nest ?
Hi Sandy! It’s all about instinct. When they are just hatched and for a few days while they are wobbly, the female will clean up after them, but when the are able to walk around they know exactly what to do!
Hello,
I am wondering how long an Osprey chick can go without food after it hatches? I am watching Jane and George at the North Fork, Long Island nest. Jane seems to be surprised at the new chick that hatched early this evening. Hopefully George will help her out and all will be okay. Thanks.
Hi Barb! Chicks that just hatch still have the nutrition from the egg, so there shouldn’t be any concern if not fed right away. I’ve seen chicks eat a couple hours after hatching and could go a littler longer as some hatch in the evening and don’t get their first bites until morning. I bet George will start bringing fish for the little one soon, if it’s not too late in the evening.
I have been observing an osprey nest with 3 babies. Recently one of the babies seems to be attacking a weaker sibling, pecking at the back of her neck. Is this typical behavior for osprey young? Why doesn’t mama osprey intervene?
Hi Barb! Sadly this does happen where the oldest chick shows it’s dominance over the younger chicks. Sometimes it is short lived and other times the outcome is very sad. This happens more when fish is not abundant, but also happens when there seems to be enough, the oldest and biggest actually keeping the littlest from eating. Osprey parents never intervene. Osprey parents will feed the beak closest to theirs, it makes sense that the larger chicks are able to get to the fish first and fastest. The strongest are the ones that survive and of course the ospreys want the strongest to survive to carry on their blood line. If they were to spread the food out evenly the chances of no one surviving are greater, while having one survive each season is a great success for that nest.
If something happens to the female will themale care for the babies
Hi Cheryl- we have seen in other nests where the female disappears and the male does take care of the babies. This happened last year. The sad thing is, when the male is gone away from the nest the chicks are very vulnerable to predation and sadly that is what happened last year at a nest. But, the males do their best. It’s amazing! 🙂
The female was injured
There is one baby who is showing signs of fledging in a coupe weeks
It looks like the male is feeding it and guarding the nest
Thank you for the update, Cheryl.
When luis delivered the fish why was iris freaking out and pushed him out of the nest in hellgate?
I think you must be referring to the Hellgate Canyon osprey in Montana? Not sure why Iris would push Louis out of the nest when he had a fish in less she was possibly stressed and needing to get the chicks fed or wanting him to get another fish or possible threats around.
I’ve been fascinated by watching the Hog Island triplets! Today, I think I saw Steve REMOVE a fish from the nest, and have not seen him return with another yet. (Maybe I missed it.) From past observations, he’s usually there about every 2 hours, but now it looks like it’s been several hours since he’s brought food. He’s only been back a few times with twigs (I can definitely see the need to build up the height of the walls of the nest). The chicks seem hungry, and at one point were toddling around and chewing on the plant material in the nest. Then Rachel flew off, and the chicks took a sudden hunkered position and didn’t move. For the first time, I noticed that the stripe on their back and the color of some of the feathers on their backs matched the twigs and moss that nest is built on. Couple questions: 1) Do the chicks instinctively know to hunker when the mother leaves the nest, or does mom give some kind of command? 2) Why remove a fish? Because it’s dead? 3) How often do the chicks need to feed, now that they’re more than 2 weeks old?
Hi Wendy! Sometimes fishing conditions make it harder to catch and bring fish to the nest on a regular schedule, but it seems like they get fed up to 5 times a day. Five fish a day is a good number as they grow and of course that depends on the size of the fish, too. When they are little they don’t have that much room for a lot all at once. They do have great camouflage and that is a good thing 🙂 What you’re seeing when the chicks flatten is called Thanatosis, it’s like playing dead or ‘pancaking’. They do react to their parents when they do this either through calls or instinct and is usually done for their protection as threats maybe in the area when the adults leave the chicks alone. There could be many reasons why the male takes the fish away, some being, that there are threats around, the female doesn’t want it yet, if the head is on it maybe he needs to eat the head off first. When they are brought to the nest with the head on it takes longer for the female to get feed the chicks and it could still be alive. Dead fish are preferable when delivered to the nest! 🙂
Good Morning to all. I live in Port Richey, Fla and across the street is a Publix shopping center and on top of 1 of their light poles looks to be an osprey nest. We ( being my 6yr old grandson, 14yr old daughter and myself) have been watching this nest for a couple months now. What happened a couple days ago has had us googling these birds, which I feel is a good experience for all involved. It looked to be 1 of the parents was bringing breakfast to i believe the baby (they all seem to be about the same size, we don’t have binoculars) anyways when the 1 with fish approached the other Jr tried grasping the fish and it turned into a downward spiral. I thought they where going to hit the ground which is very unlikely ( as they are birds, birds don’t do this) about 10 ft from ground both finally started to fly upwards. 1 went to the nest with said food and the other went to a nearby light pole. My question is this and we have been debating this as, are the parents trying to get Jr to fly or fish on his own? Since that day it looks like both parents are nearby watching each on their own poles. They don’t seem like a danger to said bird. This morning he was flapping his wings and making all kinds of noise but still hasn’t taken flight. I’ve enjoyed reading this thread and wanted to post our experience for others to enjoy or learn from. Amazing birds we have all enjoyed watching them, and are excited as to what’s to happen next. Have a osprey- ome day.
Hi Sheila! Thanks for sharing your osprey observations with us! The way things ‘normally’ work on an osprey nest, is when the chicks are around 55 days old (average) chicks will fledge, meaning they will fly away from the nest but still return to the nest to feed and sleep for awhile. This is the beginning of their independence; where they learn to fly around and hopefully fish for themselves. The parents will bring fish to the chicks still and often it’s a battle between the chicks as to who gets the fish! The winning chick will either mantle the fish (spreading wings around it and screaming mine, mine, mine, in osprey) or they will take it away from the nest. This all leads up to them leaving the nest for good and migrating. If there is still a younger chick on the nest, it might just not have fledged yet, the youngest one most typically fledge last.
what would cause ospreys to abandon their nest
Hi Robert – Ospreys have high nest fidelity, so for them to leave their nest, most likely it could be from their eggs being infertile or loss of hatched chicks. Since osprey nests are used for eggs and then raising chicks, if neither are present, they don’t usually stay at their nest much. Be sure to look for them next spring if they survive to return after migration.
I’m actually very new to watching Osprey nests. Goodness they are beautiful birds!! I’ve been watching the Hellgate Canyon nest in Montana for a couple weeks now, and I’ve got a question I hope someone has an answer to, Louis has been feeding Iris when she’s incubating, is that normal for ospreys, or are these two unique? I have not been watching other osprey nests, but I do watch Bald Eagle nests, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a parent feeding a parent.
Hi Laurie! Both Louis and Stan, Iris’ previous mate, fed her. I have seen our male, Pete reach over to feed our female, maybe once, and got a look back like, “are you crazy”….I do wonder if it has to do with Iris’ age or if she ‘requests’ he feed her! I will check with the biologist and write back to you.
Hi there! I just wanted to add some personal observations from following the BOULDER COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS OSPREY CAM, in Longmont, CO. I’ve watched this nest for the last three years and think it may be an exception to a couple of rules:) The males stays on a perch by the nest EVERY NIGHT. While eggs are incubating, Dad shares time on the eggs and loves it. At times, he nudges Mom to get her off when he feels it’s his turn on the eggs, and sometimes Mom has to drop sticks on his head, push him with her foot, circle him and push him with her body when he isn’t inclined to relinquish his duties! So funny and endearing! It’s not at all unusual for Dad to feed Mom when she’s on the eggs, and will even do this for her after the chicks have hatched. We’ve even seen him give bites of fish to her, then she feeds that bite to the chicks. He also feeds the chicks at various times! It’s so touching to witness. He’s quite a guy and they are a very strong pair, taking their duties very seriously! They’re a joy to watch!:)
Hi Judith! Thank you for sharing your observations! I have found every year we learn something new about ospreys! They are enjoyable and educational to watch!
Laurie, I did some checking and was told that there was a nest in Connecticut that was famous for the male feeding the female, so it does happen elsewhere. We are so fortunate to get to see all types of osprey behavior because of the cams that are provided!
What happens if the male Osprey has been hurt or had died and cannot bring fish to the chicks. I’m watching the Hellgate Ospreys in Montana that have 3 days old chicks. The male Louie has been missing a whole day. Iris and the chicks have not been fed since the night before.I am worried about the three baby chicks.
Hi Wanie – I know that last year Louis was gone for a day or at least most of a day…he had a hard time providing enough fish for the 3 chicks and they perished. If he does not return, the chicks most likely won’t make it. The males bring the fish to the nest and the females protect the brood and wait for the fish. Louis will need to bring fish consistently for all the chicks to survive.
Hooray! This morning Louie returned with a fish for Iris and the chicks! i am so happy! He looks like he got hurt, there is a small reddish mark on his breast but look all right. Happy day!
That is excellent news. Blood most likely was from the fish, it looks as though he is doing well. The conditions at the nest are harsh from all the melting snow and rising waters, but I think conditions are getting better. Ospreys have to deal with other raptors wanting their fish, finding a place to fish, I’m sure he only wants to provide for his family, sometimes conditions make that difficult!
our osprey nest had two osprey in it again this year but about after a month or so the left the nest in mid May and. it looks like a new nest is being built in an old dead tree just 100 ft away. What would cause osprey to abandon a nest. i did attach a purple martin nest below it about 10′ off ground but 20′ below osprey nest, would that cause the move? Also there was a strong fishy smell coming from the nest area shortly after they abandoned it. I want to take my drone and get pictures of the nest to see if there is anything unusual. Any ideas what happened?.
Hi Tom – it could be that if they laid eggs, they weren’t fertile or the eggs got destroyed. Osprey use their nests for eggs and chicks and if there aren’t any they could leave and build a frustration nest elsewhere. There could be left over fish in the nest causing the fish smell.
Hi Tom, I was thinking some more about your post. You mentioned you had a drone. If the drone had been flying around the area of the nest, it’s possible that could have driven the osprey away. Drones are wonderful for getting aerial views and seeing things we can’t usually see, but Osprey would see them as a threat and aren’t safe to fly around them. I do hope the osprey return next season 🙂
Hi, I’ve been watching the Audubon cam in Greenwich Ct from time to time, and just 20 minutes ago noticed the parent hovering over the two eggs, but not brooding. Then I notice she placed a talon on one egg, and a second later took flight. No eggs in nest! Could she have dumped them? Then She came back with a fish.
Hi Barry – It could be possible that the eggs in the nest didn’t belong to the osprey that hoovered over the nest and put a talon in one of the eggs. I saw a situation where a male returned a little late in the spring and his mate had already mated with another osprey and laid a couple eggs. The male stepped on the eggs and then kicked the eggs out of the nest. Females don’t usually fish when they have eggs in the nest, the males deliver the fish and then the female takes the fish and male broods the eggs while the female is away…maybe another possibility is that the eggs were not fertile…with no more eggs in the nest, the osprey might not be returning very often to it.
Placida, FL. I’ve been watching a pair of ospreys from the first nest sticks, through the laying, hatching of three babies, feeding, and fledging of all but one juvenile bird. The nest is on a channel marker over Placida Sound. It appeared that one adult bird stayed for sometime with the last juvenile but eventually left. The juvenile has been alone in the nest for at least two weeks calling out. I’ve noticed lately the bird is leaving and returning to the nest. Apparently feeding itself. The nest is falling apart. What gives? Is this bird a social outcast, a bit slow or what? I’m concerned.Carol
Hi Carol- East coast ospreys migrate in July or August, so it could be the others are around still and the osprey you see could be the youngest still working on catching fish for itself, it’s probably okay that it’s still hanging around. Ospreys don’t necessarily hang out together with their siblings or parents and have to take care of themselves.
Hello, we’ve been watching an Osprey nest for about 2.5 months now, three eggs total, the first one hatched but passed away a week later. The other two eggs didn’t hatch and one by one disappeared from the nest in the last 3 days (because she kept leaving the nest and wasn’t sitting on them much). Now the Ospreys are back at the nest and it looks like they’ve freshened it a bit. Could they be preparing to lay eggs again? It doesn’t seem like they have given up yet.
Everything I’ve read say they only lay eggs around March or April but is it possible for them to lay eggs again? We have been so attached to this couple it is hard to think of any other answer.
Thanks.
Hi Pat! Ospreys only lay one clutch, so sadly, it looks like there won’t be chicks this year. It seems like no season is ever the same, hopefully their nest will be a success next year.
HI, we have loved watching an Osprey pair at the park, Long Island NY. This is the 3rd season that we have been aware of, but it may have been before. A pair was there in early Spring, same nest spot, on top of lights, but we haven’t seen either one for about a week. The park has wild parrots that have always been there, thday nest on other light poles. This year the parrots seemed to be also using the same pole as the Ospreys. Could this have bothered them? If they don’t lay eggs do they leave the nest? Even though it’s been a week could they still come back?
Hi Nicole! It’s possible, if they laid eggs, that they weren’t fertile, or were unsuccessful in some way. They most likely wouldn’t stay at the nest if there are no eggs or chicks and if they return to the nest it would probably just be for a stop over, not to sleep or stay. It could be a different pair of ospreys were at the nest and not the same pair from previous years. Parrots could possibly be irritating to the ospreys but not likely to keep them from their nest if they laid eggs or had chicks.
Do Osprey nurse their young.
Hi Donna- No, Osprey don’t nurse. Ospreys feed their young pieces of fish until they are big enough to feed themselves and/or catch fish for themselves.
May question relates to Katie’s Mat 15, 2018—I also noticed the chick gone and the female Osprey continues to sit on the two eggs. How long will she continue to sit on the eggs? She has been sitting on these eggs a very long time. I have been watching all the web cams showing the Osprey’s and falcons for a long time. I’m thinking her eggs are not viable.
Hi Margie – If one egg has hatched and the others haven’t after 3 days from the first hatch, it’s very likely the eggs are nonviable. I have seen an osprey mother lay on her eggs until she migrated, it’s very possible this female will stay with the eggs until she migrates. If the eggs get destroyed somehow, she most likely won’t stay at the nest.
I work for Fish and Wildlife and picked up a Juvenile Osprey that had fallen out of a nest last night. He appears to be doing well. Is taking water and is very verbal today. I am waiting for our Wildlife Rehabilitator to come pick it up and make sure he is ok. My question is, how can I feed him in the meantime? I’ve tried minnows, but he is not impressed.
I will contact Janie our biologist, I think torn or cut bits of fish, not whole or big pieces.
I also, would like to recommend that you contact your rehabber to make sure it’s okay to give food to this chick before it has been checked out. Please let us know how things turn out!
Jaime, this just in from our biologist Janie Veltcamp: Depending on age of young osprey, best to keep it warm and quiet. Young osprey are fed by their parents the first four weeks. Best to get osprey to a permitted facility’s care. What state are you in?
Hello,
The Opsreys nest on top of a telephone pole on my property. I live on the water at the end of a peninsula.
Yesterday, I had one large dead tree taken down(about an acre from the nest). Today, I heard and saw the Ospreys. However, I have not seen them in there nest. Did they abandon it because of the noise? Will they return?
Hi Mitch – Spring is a busy time for ospreys as they build their nests and lay their eggs and then spend up to a month incubating the eggs, it’s also busy for humans as we prepare for summer sprucing things up. Taking down trees in the fall is best as the birds have fledged and no longer need their nest for the chicks. It is possible the noise bothered them, but if there were eggs or chicks they surely wouldn’t abandon their nest. Hopefully they returned and the eggs or chicks will be okay.
I’ve been watching an OspreyLive Cam now for several weeks and two mates have been taking care of three eggs. One of the eggs hatched and they had been feeding it for at least a week. A couple of days ago the female osprey picked the baby up by it’s neck flew away and returned without it. They appear to still be taking care of the eggs. Any idea why the mother would get rid of the baby?
Hi Katie! I’ve only seen chicks removed if they have passed away. Was this chick still alive or showing any signs of illness? I have referred your question to our biologist, Janie Veltcamp with Birds of Prey Northwest, and will get back to you.
Hi Katie, Janie, our biologist said that probably the chick was deceased or ill and that these birds have been on the planet millions of years and have their own form of knowing.
Their is an Osprey putting branches on my boat every day, and every evening I brush them off in an attempt to keep them from nesting.
Will they move on as their need for a nest grows? What can I do, I cannot let them make a nest and their fore lose the boat for the entire season….
Please help,
Hi Nick-I’m not sure where you live, but it seems pretty late in the season to just be building a nest now. Many ospreys in the West have eggs already with some eggs due to hatch the end of May beginning of June. So, it could be young ospreys that are just building for the first time that may need a season to figure out how to do it. It could be that an osprey couple lost their eggs and are building a frustration nest. Removing the branches daily would most likely keep them from laying eggs on your boat. The nests are built for laying eggs and raising chicks. One option could be for you to build a platform for them. Here is a link with some ideas: http://www.osprey-watch.org/learn-about-osprey/build-an-osprey-nest/
Will Osprey chicks climb their parents backs in the nest before they fledge.
While I haven’t seen chicks climb on parents backs at the Sandpoint nest before fledging, one season, a chick after fledging, did jump on Sandy’s back when she delivered a fish.
Is it common for osprey parents to leave the nest unattended after eggs are laid? At the Central Lakes College osprey nest cam in Minnesota the pair left their eggs alone last year and they were snowed on and then eaten by prey. The pair left the nest and after rarely returning left for good in early summer.
This year the first egg showed up today and within 2 hours the parents left the egg and hours later haven’t returned. I’m not convinced this is the usual pair that come each year.
Hi Carol – While osprey parents may leave their eggs briefly, it’s not common for osprey parents to leave their eggs unattended for so long. Usually, if there is danger, which ever osprey that is on the eggs will take off after the intruder, or the other mate will fend it off but typically return fairly quickly. It’s possible that the ospreys you have seen are a young osprey couple and as you said, maybe not the same two each season. For some young ospreys it can take awhile to figure everything out 🙂
Another possibility is that the parents realized they had infertile eggs.
I live in Northern Florida and wonder if Ospreys fish at night around here?
Hi Lorri, I’m sure there are exceptions, but typically ospreys fish in early morning, throughout the day and early evening and then perch at night in a tree.
Is there an age were the female stops laying eggs
Hi Sherri, sorry for the delay in answering. I consulted with Dr. Wayne Melquist, a biologist and he said he couldn’t say for certain. He guessed that they, like many animals, reach an age where they no longer go into estrus, which is their reproduction cycle. However, they probably can conceive closer to the end of their life, proportionally, than humans and other long-lived animals. The Loch of the Lowes female ‘Lady’ is currently thought to be the oldest breeding Osprey in the UK and returned to the Scottish site for 22 years.
I live in Bayville NY. A new Osprey nesting platform was placed in the wetlands, replacing an older
platform that had been there for years. There have been two Osprey on the platform for a couple weeks now. They return daily but do not seem to building a nest, Is there an explanation for this? They do seem to be small in size.
Hi Jeanine – they could be young ospreys checking out the options for nesting. Also, sometimes it can take them a little while to build a nest, but once they get going and are serious about it, a nest will appear in a week or so. Hopefully you’ll get to see a pair of ospreys raise a family there this season!
I noticed a pair of osprey starting to build a nest on a telephone pole near our house. The sticks keep falling and they seem to be struggling a bit. Should I contact the DEC to see if they would put a box there for them or would that human interference scare them away? I would like to see them stay and raise some chicks.
Hi Nancy – Platforms sure seem to be the safest option for osprey nests. At this point in the season, it might be a little late for things to get done in time for the ospreys to make a nest and lay eggs if a platform were to be installed. It is amazing what they can build a nest on though, and they like to be at the top of old trees or poles, etc. If they can’t seem to get a nest on top of the pole, maybe contacting the DEC is something you could do for next spring before the ospreys arrive 🙂
I live on the Pamlico sound Outerbanks NC. 2 ospreys have been sitting on the end of my pier for at least 2 weeks. Couple of days ago I noticed they have started a nest. At least that’s what I think it is. Just a few twigs piled together. There are platforms close to the water in neighboring yards with no nest so I don’t know why they would choose this spot. The nest is on one of the metal support rails of my boat lift. I don’t use the lift but the rail is narrow & long & the wind in this area can be extreme sometimes. Even in the summer. It’s been cold so they haven’t gotten very much built. My question is…if I go out now & attach some kind of platform in the spot where they have started will they use it or will they leave. Or could they have a nest somewhere close by & they’re just fishing off my pier? One of them might leave for a little while but basically they are both there all day & im assuming all night. They’re there when I go to bed & there when I get up
Hi Sherer keel,
This could be a young couple not yet established in a nest, and sometimes sticks are placed somewhere and then they don’t continue building there. It’s possible, if you were to put up a platform, that they would nest there, but no guarantees. They should start building a nest or establishing their nest pretty soon for eggs in May.
the nest in richmond ca with female male and 3 eggs had an osprey visitor today
there were no alarm calls and the female say quietly near the third osprey
we thought i might be a child from a previous mating come back to visit a young male
do former children cone by often?
Hi Nancy!
Visitors have been known to come by occupied osprey nests with no repercussions! Chances are it could be a young osprey returning after their 2 years away. Ospreys are very accepting of orphan chicks and seem tolerant of osprey that don’t pose any threat. Usually if there are eggs or chicks the ospreys would keep interlopers away from the nest.
thanks
it was the fact that there were eggs and the very accepting way the third osprey was treated even allowed to be in the nest close to the eggs ! we have pictures we are still scripting out heads this is the nest in richmand ca at the whirley crane http://sfbayospreys.org/live-chat
Oh, is this Rosie and Richmond’s nest? There was another situation similar to this back East where the ospreys even fed the young osprey that flew and stayed on their nest. It would nice if there were bands so it would be easy to identify if they were a chick from a couple years ago or not.
Why when they catch a fish ! They fly around and make so much noise? Are they trying to distract peditors away from nest ?
Hi Kristin! That could be one of the reasons. It could also be that he is letting his mate know he is coming home with dinner. His mate in the nest will greet him with lots of noise as he is approaching with the fish. Osprey have many sounds with different meanings, here are a couple – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/OSPREY/sounds
Hello. I’ve been watching the Osprey cam at Pink Shell, Fort Myers, Florida. The male (was observed with a fishing lure in his chest a couple of weeks ago – not sure if that’s still embedded but he’s been bringing fish in regularly to Mum and two chicks ) has not been seen for almost a full 24 hours. How long can the chicks survive with no fish? Will the female fish herself at some stage? This has been a worrying nest as two weeks ago one chick was tangled in fishing line but the wonderful local wildlife centre removed it and the chick seems fine (though aggressive towards younger sibling). Any advice would be very welcome. Thank you.
Hi Lisa! There have been situations where the males have been gone for 24 hours and return with a fish. There could eagles in the area keeping the male from returning to the nest, even taking the males fish. The fishing could be bad. There are so many scenarios, sadly! Depending on the age of the chicks would determine how long they could survive. It seems like the females don’t fish when there are chicks in the nest that haven’t fledged and often the chicks die or the strongest chick is the last to survive. Ospreys face so many dangers, I sure hope the male returns, with a fish, and all survive.
I’ve been watching an osprey pair in coastal North Carolina. All seemed normal, but then, the parents were nowhere to be seen. A vulture was seen sitting on a limb above the unattended osprey nest. Could the osprey parents have abandoned the nest because of the vulture?
Hi Bobby! It turns out that turkey vultures prefer to eat herbivores, not carnivores or omnivores—in other words, they eat animals that eat plants, not meat. They’ll even eat some vegetation. They also won’t go after anything that is moving, only animals that are lying still and appear to be dead. I don’t know if osprey felt threatened by the vultures presence. There could be many reasons for the osprey pair not staying at the nest, they could have been an unmated pair or young osprey or osprey checking out the options! If a pair starts bringing sticks to the nest then most likely they have claimed it as theirs.
I have a osprey nest near my home in the 7mile area of Riverside State Park on the Spokane River.
We had about 3 years in a row of succesful breeding pair with 3 babies. Last year we had a goose pair take over the nest and refuse to leave when the osprey arrived. When the geese left the osprey started nest building and mating but gave up and left. I believe I saw a osprey pair today, earliest ever sighting. Any tips on getting rid of these geese that are hanging around?
Hi Laurie! Well, if the osprey have gained control of the nest, the geese most likely won’t take over. There are several things that have been done to keep geese away, but most have to be done prior to the ospreys arriving back in the spring. Here at the Sandpoint Osprey nest, the nest is taken down each fall after migration, this has been very successful. The geese usually arrive to the platform and are very shocked that a nest isn’t waiting for them 🙂 The ospreys arrive and build their nest and we’ve never had geese take over in this situation. Other cam nests have put up excluders which are like a wire cage and there is someone that will remove it when osprey are sighted, just this year Dunrovin Ranch put a goose decoy in the nest 🙂 The wind tipped it over and I’m not sure if it’s still there. While geese can be a nuisance, we’ve observed that once the osprey pair has taken over the nest the geese move on. Soon the geese will have to find a site to lay their eggs. Maybe you could talk with Parks and Recreation or some Wildlife authority in your area about having the nest taken down each fall. We have pictures on the Sandpoint Osprey Nest Friends facebook page of osprey at Kendall Yard in Spokane. Hopefully this will be a successful osprey watching season for you!! 🙂
We had healthy osprey families for the first two years,the third year a buzzard killed one of the two juveniles. He was left dangling from the nest and we removed him. The fourth year a pair of inexperienced parent gave birth to three chicks but the first born killed off his siblings. Last year we had a pair who came but then one of the two disappeared and the other sat mournfully waiting to no avail. My question: Should we remove the somewhat large nesting materials left in the nest? Could they be “contaminated “ ? We have had one pair this year who came, flirted and left.
Hi Nina! This is the seventh season for the Sandpoint Osprey Nest cam and every season has been different. There has only been one season where there were 3 eggs and they all hatched, survived, and fledged. The nest at the field is taken down every year because the Canada Geese will take it over and lay eggs and the osprey loose out on their nest and would have to build a nest somewhere. Sounds like you have different couples using the nest instead of the same couple coming back every year. If you were to take the nest down maybe a new couple would build a nest and be the couple to return in the spring each year provided nothing happens to either of them. It’s probably not a case of contamination. Building a nest together helps bond an osprey pair. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to see a couple and their chicks survive a season!
Will high winds up to 20 mph cause osprey adults to
leave their nests?
Hi K. Day,
If there are eggs in the osprey nest, the female will stay on that nest incubating in high winds as well as snow and rain. They don’t stay in their nest if there are no eggs or chicks. That doesn’t mean that the wind won’t knock the nest off or it could even blow the osprey over.
I live on a farm in western Massachusetts. My wife saw what a appeared to an osprey flying nearby. Later while harvesting peppers in a field she found a fish buried head first in the field with most of the body exposed. Could an osprey have done this?
John Spineti
Ospreys do drop fish occasionally and sometimes it’s because they are being harassed by an eagle that wants the fish, it ends up neither one gets the fish, but maybe you’ll benefit as fish are good fertilizer 🙂
What would happen to an ecosystem if the osprey population were to decrease?
Ospreys are at the top of the food chain, and a good indicator of things going on in the environment. Unlike some other raptors, their diet consist of almost only fish. Owls, eagles, and other raptors eat mice and other mammals which helps to keep those populations under control. The same could be said for fish, without the ospreys fishing there could be an abundance of fish in the water which could cause problems. Hopefully we will never have to experience what it is like to not have ospreys!
A young osprey we watched through a telescope from hatching this spring seems to spend most of the day sitting on the nest calling (to the parents?) I saw it eating fish about four days ago, but otherwise it just sits and screams. No sign of the parents who may have already migrated. And certainly not the bountiful food it was use to being served by the parents all summer.
The nest is located on a channel marker in the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia
Is this normal behavior? Has it not yet learned to fish? Will it learn? Will it know how and when to migrate.? It sounds so pitiful.
Sometimes parents do migrate before the fledglings and the young osprey learn to fish on their own. Everything is instinct and it will either take over or the osprey won’t survive. Hopefully everything worked out for the young osprey you viewed last summer!
Hi Mary! Every season you will most likely see something that seems different when watching osprey. It is possible the parents are on a branch somewhere encouraging this young osprey to start fending for itself by withholding food, or they could have migrated. Instinct is what drives osprey to migrate and this osprey will have to migrate and learn to fish on the way, even if it hasn’t been successful yet getting a fish on its own.
I watch the Osprey Cam in Orange Beach Al, About 3 weeks ago 2 of the 3 hatchlings started flying. The 3rd one will flap his wings occasionally but that is all. Is this unusual. I am afraid something is wrong with his wings as they look a little unusual.
This sounds totally normal. The 3rd one is most likely the youngest and the last to take off out of the nest! Hopefully the young osprey fledged and is doing well.
Ospreys built very large nest on arch of a pier next to my house on Long Island sound in Stanford Connecticut. there is a raised walkway that connects to the arch which apparently aided their efforts. For the last few weeks they have been trying to build another one on the other arch. This one does not have the walkway or anything connected to it and almost all of the materials they bring simply drop down. They sometimes retrieve twigs that fall into the water, but never the ones that drop immediately below to the pier, where a substantial pile has formed. The first nest was a big success. The second a complete failure. Saw a hatchling today for the first time. Anyone have an idea what’s happening?
Was the hatchling in the first nest? If they were successful in building one nest and they had chicks that survived, could it be possible a different osprey couple is trying to build on the other arch? If their first nest had not been successful sometimes ospreys will build ‘frustration’ nests in another area. Maybe you can write back and let us know how this worked out!
Hello, I live in Atlantic Beach, Florida and have always had Osprey’s nest in our huge oak tree in our backyard by a large lake.
This year, they decided to build their nest in our next door neighbors Chimney top. They had two fledglings this year but we found one dead on the ground, the other has just started flying in the last week.
When can we expect all of them to leave the nest so that my neighbors can clean out their chimney?
They want to take the material from the chimney and move it to the platform in our tree but neither of us have been able to find any article on when we can do so.
I look forward to your reply.
Osprey nests are built for eggs and chicks. After the chicks have fledged (flown from the nest) and have migrated it would be safe to move the nest. Ospreys only use their nest during the times when they have eggs and chicks, after that it is more of landing pad and they even spend the evenings away from the nest until all have migrated. Again, once you are sure they have migrated and left the area, then you can remove the nest from the chimney.
I have been watching an osprey cam with 3 5+ week-old chicks. This is the 5th year this osprey pair has nested here. They are incredible “parents” as far as nestbuilding and fishing goes Now that the chicks are bigger, the female spends the night on a branch connected to the nesting platform, usually 3-4 feet above the nest. Tonight a Great-Horned Owl took one of the chicks. The female Osprey tried to fight it off the nest, but did not succeed. What is the ospreys night vision like, and can they fly in the dark? I ask because she was sounding alerts but the male did not come to defend the nest. Also, how far away could she see the owl coming?
It is very hard to hear or see predation on osprey nests. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence. The male could have been perched further away and with owls being silent flyers things can happen quickly and nothing can be done. We have seen osprey fly into a nest at night, usually they are on a branch somewhere and stay there for the night.
Do Osprey eat their young? I’m watching a nest on EarthCam, and watched two of the three siblings die. I’m guessing either disease or starvation. But could never catch what the mother did with the bodies. Does the mother take them off site, or roll them over the edge?
No, they don’t eat their young, there have been incidents where an egg that has not been developed has broken and the contents have been eaten. When osprey chicks die, and it happens often, sometimes the body will be left in the nest and decompose (this has happened in the Sandpoint Osprey Nest) and other times the chicks are removed and deposited away from the nest. (nest watchers found a chicks body under the nest one season in Sandpoint) Not sure why the ospreys decide to remove or leave the bodies in the nest, it could have something to do with size.
We have a nest in portland oregon at the portland international raceway. There is a big one atop the light where they have thursday night motorcross. They were there at the beginning of the season, now its the beginning of july and have not seen them the last couple of weeks. Does anyone know what happened to them. Did one die, did they not have offspring this year what happened. They nest here every year. WHAT HAPPENED!
There are many things that could have happened. The eggs, if there were any, may not have hatched and the adults could have gone some where else. The eggs could have hatched and the chicks may not have survived and the parents could have left the nest. Sadly, something could have happened to one or both of the adults. Hopefully, they will return this season and do well!
I am currently watching the Osprey Cam at GRCA Belwood in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. Three chicks hatched, 2 survived, very feisty and thriving well. However the female left the nest at 3am Sunday morning and has not returned to the nest. Besides her coming to some sort of peril, would there be a reason for a mother to just leave the nest and not come back to her chicks? The father is covering all the duties now as best he can, but I fear for their survival. I would appreciate any information on this.
Kind regards
Megan Raasch
Hi Megan! It is not typical for a female osprey to leave her chicks when they are very young. They will leave if the dad is there, for a short amount of time and as the chicks get older they may leave them unattended. If you did not see her for a length of time and the father is taking over duties, it is sadly, very possible that something happened to her. Male ospreys have raised chicks with success.
osprey parents seem to have abandoned the nest. The babies are still alive. What should i do?
Hi Gretchen! Osprey parents would not abandon their chicks, they could be fending off eagles or other threats to the nest. Not sure how old the chicks are, if they are really little the mother would not leave them uncovered unless some danger to them came close to the nest. Hopefully nothing happened to either parent. If you were sure that the parents had been gone over night, you could see if there was a number for your states Wildlife department. There maybe be a raptor rescue organization in your area or call a local vet to see if they have a number. The chicks would not survive long without their parents shelter.
HOW LONG DOES OSPREY NEST WITH BABIES?
Hi Sandy – once chicks hatch the ospreys stay with them until the chicks are able to fly from the nest which is called fledging. The female will stay with the chicks on the nest until all the chicks have fledged, while the chicks at the beginning will return to the nest the mom at some point, will sleep away from the nest and eventually one or more of the chicks will sleep away from the nest as well. Usually in September (in Idaho) the osprey will fly south.
There is an Osprey that sits on top of a street light in Ocean City NJ…it arrives every night 10 min after the sun sets and leaves every morning about 10 minutes before the sun rises. It arrived in 2016 around the month of May and left in the month of October. I noticed this year 3 weeks ago it arrived on the same street light after sunset.
Why does this bird sit on a street light all night?
Are they nocturnal? It never moves? I would assume it flies back to its nest by the bay during the day.
I’ve played a YouTube video of an Osprey calling and it responds back by singing.
What are your thoughts.
Thank you
Hi Helen! Early in the season, before there are eggs, osprey will spend more time away from the nest. The nest is made for eggs and chicks and until the first egg is laid the female will be working on the nest with her mate but will sleep away from nest. The male never spends the night at the nest and the street light could provide a view of the nest for the osprey as well as a night perch.
Our Ospreys suddenly left…she looked to be nesting all squatted down gor about 4 days.
Male returned occasionally…then one day we saw her just leave.. not come back. Been 3 days.. why would they do this when they seemed to be happy here gor weeks..
Hi Patti! It could be they might not have been a mated pair and she may have laid an egg that wasn’t his. Did any osprey stay on the nest after she didn’t return? It also is possible that something happened to her.
We have a man-made eagles nest near our property in western Minnesota. This is our first spring here so I am unsure what used the structure in the past but this spring we had a pair of osprey. We watched as they built their nest. Then the female seemed to be nesting. Staying in the nest, down low. But it has now been a week since we have seen either. Just wondering what might cause them to abandon the nest. Bad weather? It has been cold with days of rain and snow
Hi Tracee. There could have been threats in the area that kept them staying safely in their nest. They also could have been a young osprey pair and maybe just getting to know each other. Sandy from our Sandpoint nest incubated her eggs through snow and rain, so weather probably wouldn’t be an influence. Osprey parents are usually devoted to their eggs.
Male osprey never returned to nest with fish for two days now. Mom and one baby are left squawking all through the night. If he never returns, will they survive?
Hi Lisa. In many situations where the male osprey doesn’t show back up the mother does not go out and fish for the chicks. Chances are the chicks may not have survived.
I have a cell tower behind my house. It looks like both bald eagles and osprey are using it for nesting. Do they normally use the same nesting platform for their nests at the same time?
Hi Rex! Eagles are enemies to the osprey and they surely would not share the same nest at the same time. I would suspect the eagles got the nest and osprey went elsewhere.
My boyfriend has been fishing by an estuary that feeds directly off the Atlantic Ocean in St Augustine, FL. Over the last two weeks, he’s had an osprey follow his line as he casts off the shore, and the osprey even took a small fish off his hook as he reeled it in. The bird recently has taken to walking around in the grass near my boyfriend and his fishing buddies, and even perched on his golf cart, awaiting presumably lunch and has gotten closer and closer. The bird is probably within 10 feet of him. Is this normal behaviour for ospreys?
Hi Stephanie. There are ospreys that are year round residents in Florida and have adapted well to having humans around.
osprey is a migratory bird or not
Hi Vanshika,
Ospreys are migratory. More information on their migration can be found here https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Osprey/lifehistory.
Hi my friend lives on a small lake in South Florida, there is a single female Osprey( judging by it’s size) its been here for a year at least. We usually see it sitting on a branch in a palm tree or flying by the window searching the lake for fish. Lately it has been spending a lot of time just sitting on the ground, which is odd because it is not eating, just sitting there. It is able to fly because we watched it for a good 30 minutes or so and watched it fly off. We have seen it doing this for several days in a row. This seems like odd behavior for an Osprey.
I am reporting from a nest site near the Center for Urban Horticulture about 3 miles south of the Sandpoint webcam. UW Crews constructed a nest platform in the area known as the Fill and removed an osprey nest from atop light poles surrounding the baseball field.
The osprey had three chicks and approximately 2 weeks ago the adult female migrated southward and was followed several days later by the adult male and presumably 2 of the juveniles. No one directly observed the departure of the juveniles although there were photos posted of all three on September 23,2016. One female juvenile osprey remains and while she circles high above the nest platform, I have not seen her fishing. She does call plaintively, particularly at dusk, but the area near the nest site is often closed for construction and I have not been able to check on her condition for a couple days.
Is it possible to leave fish for her near the nest platform? Can she survive without migrating or is some type of intervention appropriate. Please advise asap. The area is required to be open on weekends and I will try to find her later today.
I just realized the webcam is in Sandpoint, Idaho and I thought it was located in the Sandpoint area of Seattle, so my references to the location of the nesting platform as described in the above post are incorrect. I am referring to the Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle, Washington.
We’ve had an osprey nest in a tall pine for several years. It appears the kids recently flew the nest and several days ago the nest all but disappeared. The parents ? are still perching on the tree and saw one bring a fish to other just yesterday. They have been extremely vocal – almost like they are trying tell us something? Just a shock to see the nest so quickly dissipated. Also, within last few weeks 3 osprey deaths and one badly injured within about 2 mile radius. Central Fl on Banana rIver lagoon.
In a swamp area is a tall osprey nest which I believe the parents return to every year-I keep a sharp eye on the nest and the babies in the spring- we just recently had fairly high winds and downpours which has now fallen to the ground.. will the ospreys rebuild on the tall post as before?
Sounds like the nest fell apart. This is not unusual in a live or dead tree.If the chicks did fledge they no longer have the comfort of the nest to receive fish from their parents so they will need to be fed on a branch. Fledglings can be very vocal.The adults will continue to care for them as they learn to fish on their own. It is easy to identify young osprey by the white tips of their feathers that creates a somewhat spotted appearance that fades as they age. First season osprey also have an orange tint to the eye that turns yellow with age. It is likely the adult pair will return for the 2017 nesting season and will either rebuild at the same nest site assuming it is intact or they will try to build nearby.
We have an osprey nest in our pole yard on top of a utility pole and platform that we erected a few years ago to keep them from the electrical wires. It’s been inhabited with 2 babies and mother. Unfortunately yesterday Mom flew into wires and was electrocuted. She did survive but was unable to fly so we called a rescue person who came and got her last night. She will be flown to a sanctuary on the Vancouver island today but we are now left with the dilemma of trying to keep the youngsters alive. We are, at the moment, trying to toss some chicken into the nest. I will bring fish tomorrow. I’ve asked the guys in the yard to keep an eye on them and see if they are leaving for long periods, hopefully getting their own food. I don’t want to hinder them providing for themselves but would like to know if you have any advice! The guys say they have seen them flying. Please help!
HI Cheri: We queried raptor biologist Janie Fink, director of Birds of Prey Northwest, and here is her advice:
It is best to toss fish up to the young remaining. They likely won’t recognize chicken as food. Keep providing food until they fledge. Dad should also be present to feed the young. Depending on their age Dad may be able to keep them going if they are close to fledging. I hope that helps… good luck!
More about Birds of Prey Northwest at:
http://www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org
Can i band chick an I band osprey chicks if the nest in my yard
The thing about banding birds is that it’s best left to professionals for a variety of reasons. For one thing, a government permit is needed. But most important (in my opinion) is it must be safe for the osprey chick. The band must be the right material (such as the Darvic PVC sheet plastic most commonly used), otherwise there is risk of allergic reaction, besides fading of color, & the material wearing/rotting/or being pecked away & falling off. It’s also important to be exactly the right size so it it doesn’t rattle or chafe the bird’s leg. On top of that, it needs to be put on at precisely the right time, age-wise, so that the chick hasn’t fledged yet, but is fully grown physically so that it won’t outgrow the band. Banding chicks is simply something I’d leave to licensed professionals, mainly for the safety of the birds.
There are a pair of Osprey in our neighborhood. Each year they have had babies. This year, however, they didn’t and now they are gone from the next. Is this characteristic of these birds?
We have the same thing that just happened. Now there is only one osprey in the nest. The other one has been gone for a few weeks.
I have a situation that is very confusing! In Montana, there is a nest atop a crane in the Pioneer Log Homes yard. Olivia and Oscar are the couple, and Olivia had laid at least one egg. However, another female came and apparently won a fight for the nest. She has left the eggs alone, but now stands guard. The male has been coming in and brooding, but the two have not displayed any pair-bonding behavior (other than him bringing fish back and her chasing him away after taking it.
Just today, I saw what looked like another male come in and chase Oscar away. New male lands on the nest and immediately broods too!
Now, I am really confused! These birds are hard to tell apart, and now I believe that the intruder female (we call her Trudy) has a mate or suitor who is also frequenting the nest.
Eggs are non-viable, but still in tact so far.
Any sharp-eyed Osprey experts want to check this out and weigh in? I really wish I could tell who was who. Their behavior is fascinating.
Streaming video is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgojMBs5umg
The second male coming in can still be seen for another 3 hours or so, just scroll back.
Fellow Osprey lovers! My husband and I have been mesmerized by a live video cam of a nest of a young osprey family on Hog Island, Maine. We have been watching for just two days, however, and today’s feeing frequency (and appearance) by Papa has us concerned. For the past two days, Pap has brought fish to his mate and three chicks quite regularly- every 2-3 hours or so.
Today, however, he appeared and quickly disappeared from view early this morning and has not returned since (yes, we are indeed mesmerized). Mama has been calling out insistently but he has not returned all day.
Perhaps osprey chicks have heavy eating days followed by days of ‘growing”? Is it normal for the male not to have returned to the nest for over 7 hours? We are worried!
How fast can a osprey be in a swoop?
My question there was a nest with babies born when the parents left the next to defend it. The babies were left out in the heat and passed away leaving one egg.
So is it possible that the one egg will hatch. How long will mom & dad realize that they have no babies and leave the nest?
The birds made their nest on a TV station
WE have observed osprey adding sticks to the pole nest on our property this fall. We do not know what the sex of the osprey is but it seems to only be here sporadically now. Is it possible the male is preparing the nest for next spring?
Do Ospreys feed their young regurgitated fish or only fish parts stripped at the nest?
Fish parts stripped at the nest.
Hello.
We had a Osprey pair nesting in a tall pine tree down the street from us, here in Central Florida.. For several months we have enjoyed watching them fish in the canal behind our home, and we could see them coming and going to their nest. A few days ago, one of their chicks was dead in the road.. presumably having fallen out of the nest. I have not seen the parents since. Would losing a chick cause the pair to leave…?
My wife and I are watching a single osprey, unaccompanied at all, bringing sticks to an established nest on a tall dead tree on the shore of a small manmade lagoon on Roanoke Island, NC. We assume it is an unattached male but we have no way to be sure. We have not seen two birds together at the site at any time. We have seen this activity sporadically over a 5 to 7 day period between May 16-21 while we are RVing nearby. What can you tell us about the behavior we are seeing?
My parents have had an Osprey nest for 13 years at their house on Innerarity Point, in Pensacola. Never once has the mom and dad Osprey ever thrown a baby out of the nest, but this time they did. Do you know why? We’ve even had cameras in the nest, but we know it was thrown out of the nest, not accidentally a fall; It was deliberate because of where the baby landed and how young the baby was.
You should never molest a nest. Putting a camera in the nest could cause the birds to abandon it. Many animals will abandon their young when they have been handled by humans.
After courting for a week or more, and starting to build nest, our pair of ospreys on our new stand have vanished.
What could of happened? They seemed to be settling in well but have not seen them for a few days. Stand is over water large creek on Chesapeake Bay.
Not sure why they are no longer around..
Been a few days of my observing an Osprey nest, Two adults and three off-spring. (maybe a week or two old). Notice the female either preening constantly, or is she bothered by some type of insect? Most of the attention is in the chest area, occasionally in her tail feathers?
We live in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. There’s an Osprey nest on the transformer tower across the street. Last week, there were workers on the tower, that disturbed the nest, electrocuting the mama and on baby. The dad and brother were devastated. They came over to one of the boats at our marina, and cried all day. Since then, we’re down to one. He was crying again this morning. Is there anything we can do for him?
Karen, are you aware of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act? The Osprey and all migratory birds are protected by this treaty in Canada, US and Mexico. It is so heartbreaking that there is no respect for wildlife in most parts of Mexico (I’m from there). Unfortunately most people are not aware of this treaty. It is illegal to harass and kill birds or take and destroy their nests and eggs. I hope the workers and company get punished…You can still report violations to this number, please telephone them at: (998)267-7452 in Cancun. As for helping the only osprey left, I’m not sure what you can do. Perhaps find out if there are any bird sanctuaries that will take osprey. Please let us know what happened. Good luck.
question… our 2 ospreys returned this year to their nest, but after about a week, they have moved down a few telephone poles where they are trying to build a new nest. they had started to fix up the old nest, but have abandoned it. we did notice a squirrel scare them last week when the ospreys were in the nest, and that was the last time we observed the ospreys in that nest. note that we aren’t watching the nest but for a few times a day, and aren’t sure that they didn’t come back to the nest after the squirrel observation we made.
any ideas on what would cause them to move only 200 feet away (assuming it wasn’t the squirrel) ?
We have had a pair every year since we built our platform. This year, however, their nest building is practically nonexistent. There is but a shallow remnant of last year’s nest at most, and they’ve been here a couple of weeks. They spend lots of time sitting on, and defending, the nest, but no time fetching sticks. Any thoughts or explanations?
I have just watched Osprey mate on the Loch Garten site, how long til she lays her eggs and then when can I expect the chicks to start hatching.
Thank you, Florence
Interesting – I just watched a pair mate off Ocean City, NJ. I never thought I would just happen to see that! I also am curious how long it takes before the female lays eggs. I think the hatching starts in May, at least that’s what it was here last year.
My osprey pair returned and were quite content to start upgrading the nest in anticipation of hatching new chicks this season. However, a third osprey arrived about a week ago and appears to be a male because he’s been performing the aerial display. The other male chases him off but he’s persisting in courting the female of the pair. I just took a photo of one osprey sitting at the nest while another one flies off with a fish in it’s talons as another osprey flies in with a fish. Can you tell me a little about competing males and will the female stay loyal to her first mate?
We have Ospreys living in a nest in a tree in front of our home on the water. We see them flying to another nest about 200 yards away across the water. Why would they have 2 nests?
On a small unmanned island in the Long Island Sound there is a large guyed tower with some shorter tower round it a pair of Osprey have been nesting there for at least 6 years arriving in march and leaving in the late fall.
They usually have two or three chicks per year. Unfortunately late last fall I found one of the bird dead on the ground because the chicks were about 7 months old it’s hard to determine if it was one of the adults or a chick. They have not returned yet and I’m concerned it may have been one of the adults what do Ospreys do when they lose a long term mate?
I had a nesting pair of Osprey last year, here in Upstate NY. When should I expect them to return? Should I start watching now? I know they started the Hawk Watch in our area and the migrants have begun to return, so I am hoping they will be back soon!
Heather, ospreys could be arriving back to your region any time now, up through early April. Here’s to a good season for the New York fish hawks!
while on vacation in Sarasota, FL early Feb, I noticed an Osprey nest. Frequently 1 Osprey would land on the head of the Osprey sitting in the nest. What’s up with that?!!
Our school is assisting in the building of an artificial osprey nesting structure and we need to know what height to make it, what materials they would prefer the structure to be made of and what would be a good design for the structure?
Please reply ASAP!
Thank you
Hello, I am photographing resident and migrating ospreys and bald eagles around an inlet in northeast Florida. The ospreys fish the extensive tidally influenced flats above the mouth of the inlet. I am trying to determine the optimum time or conditions to photograph them fishing, but have not discerned a consistent pattern based on time of day or tidal cycles, that is whether they tend to fish immediately after sunrise, mid-day or before sunset, or on tidal cycles such as high, low, ebbing or rising tides, where fish movement or water depth may influence fishing. Do you know of any sources of information associating such variables with osprey fishing patterns in marine environments?
Thanks, Ted Mikalsen
Jacksonville, FL
Do Ospreys feed at night? I live on a pond and have been hearing large splashes in the water at night that sound like the Ospreys that were fishing all summer here.
It’s early September in northwestern Wyoming and there appear to be two ospreys still in their nest…could this be…might they be transients using the nests as they proceed south?
Thank you!
i have a pair across the field, the male sits on a pole outside my balcony, we whistle bk n forth all the time, i havnt seen any babies this year, i have binoculers n witnessed the pair what looked like feeding something in the nest, ive been looking all summer for babies but have not seen any, when do the babies come out and fly, im frustrated that i havnt seen babies, me n daddy bird hang out all the time, i love him….i have a great connection wh animals, i want to see a babie….plz help me understand if they flew the coop or what, i only see mom n dad up there……..
We saw a bird across the water from our house sitting on a very low branch. We couldn’t identify the bird until 4 hrs later when it flopped from its perch & floundered into the water. As we watched, it flapped its wings and made its way across the water to where we were sitting. It seemed to be coming to us for help, knowing we were watching it for several hours. We realized it was an osprey, & it couldn’t lift itself up the bank. We didn’t know how to help it & didnt want to hurt it. Someone told us to leave it alone, osprey sometimes eat so much they can’t move until they pass stool to lose weight. I couldn’t find any information to that effect online. Could that be true? (We called for help from wildlife)
We have had a family of Osprey on top of a satellite tower across the street from my office in Osceola (St. Joseph County, Indiana). I watch them with a scope set up in my window, and it appears two have been left behind for the last couple of days. They have been calling out as normal, but the others haven’t returned, and I’m not entirely sure that they can fly (they don’t leave the nest). Is it possible that the other 3 or 4 have migrated and left them behind?
If so, is there any rescue or protection for these falcons?
This comment will NOT be popular, I know, but I cannot STAND these birds. We live on the water and are nearly driven crazy every year by their incessant shrieking, whistling, chirping, and territorial bullying. I don’t know how they can keep up their high-pitched nonstop hollering for hours on end, but it goes on ALL DAY without cease. Horrible birds that can’t even be drowned out by earplugs, AC, or music!
You chose to live BY THE WATER, what did you expect? Putting up with the noise for the couple of months the breeding and fledgling takes, is a small price to pay in order for you to enjoy your water view. THeir lives depend on the water, yours don’t. Only your convenience is suffering. How about the incessant human activity with loud parties, loud music, and drinking that goes on longer than the osprey shrieking? THAT is what you should complain about, since that is not a life giving activity. I am sure ospreys close to the Hamptons are disturbed by the loud, obnoxious humans nearby.
Iv hit the nail on the head,,,we are the intruders and need to do our best to be good neighbors to the osprey, I love their constant communicating,Never had a bird throw a beer bottle out in my yard,,,
You are a real piece of work…I would hate to have you live anywhere near me.
You dont know what an osprey is they dont kill birds they are fish eaters and as for the noise they only make a noise whrn wanting food. Get your facts right.
when do parent osprey leave? Nice noticed 2 years running that the juveniles are left on their own for weeks or months before they migrate. It’s mid August here and our nest has only one juvenile in it; there s a second juvenile around but it is chased away from the nest. Is this usual? Seems like the parents needed to stick around longer to referrer.
Here in central Florida where we have lots of lakes, Ospreys can be seen on their nests starting around the end of February, and continuously until early August.
Does it take that long for Osprey hatchlings to grow and fledge?
There is an Osprey nest in a tall pine tree near our patio. For 2 or 3 years we have enjoyed them from their arrival until they departed floor migration. Everything was proceeding normally this year until mid July. All of a sudden they tore the nest apart and vanished. No sign of the adults or chicks. What’s that about? Have we lost this nest forever? What has happened to the 4 birds? Herb
Did you see them tear the nest apart? unlikely. A predator probablly got the chicks and then another animal may have torn it up.
We live in Old Saybrook Connecticut.
We built a platform several years ago and we have had a couple inhabit the nest but this is the first year that we have fledglings.The eggs hatched recently (first week in July)
We have just seen the fledgling’s heads pop-up in the nest.
How long before they start flying?
Thanks
Ray.
Ray, if you go to Sandpointonline.com/ospreys there is a section below the cam picture where you can ask questions. It’s a good site.
We live in Maupin, Oregon on the Deschutes River where we have ospreys coming back each year to a wonderful nest that the previous owners have built at. The ospreys have been coming here for years and years. We have had a terrible heatwave of 100 degree weather for 2 weeks and have watched the parents hover over the chicks all day trying to keep them cool, but a few days ago, we saw that the chicks were not moving and then the parents left the nest and buried the chicks in the nest. I have observed that they are now trying to make another next on a telephone pole, which won’t work because it is so small. What can I expect? Are they going to come back again next year? I say them sitting in the nest for hours after, just being there. It was so sad. We need to realize that this global warming is serious and we just saw “the canary in the coal mine” here!
I have a cottage at Chapman Lake in PA. Last night we spotted an adult osprey on a dock. while kayaking around 7:00P.M. It could move and open its wings, but did not fly away. It emitted no sounds. I was told that this same bird had landed on a beach earlier in the day. It did not leave the dock. Any ideas and suggestions? I did not check this morning.
Lots of info on osprey-cam page.
No obvious button to actually view birds.
If you click the “Osprey cam home” link in the upper left column, that takes you to the home page with the live video stream. If you are not seeing the stream on that page, you may have a browser incompatibility – if that’s the case, let us know in a reply here and we’ll investigate. Thanks.
We’ve been watching George and Gracie on the Osprey webcam. Of the 3 chicks one died. Mom just covered him with a piece of plastic bag. Is this normal? If not, what do the Odprey usually do with dead chicks. This mom seems to be a new mom.
The Ospreys in Charlo, Montana left their dead chick in the nest for about 5 days and then one day the mom picked it up and flew off with it.
As you may know, an eagle swooped in to the osprey nest at Hog Island maine last week and stole the chicks. Much sadness. While watching the nest today, mom was screeching, dad arrived with a big fish, she grabbed it away, screeched some more and then flew off with the fish. Is this normal? Seems though she could fish for her own? Is it still part of her parenting instinct?
Thank you for any info.
Becky, we have forwarded your question (and others below) to our consulting biologist, Janie Fink Veltkamp. It’s a busy season for her so a reply may take some time. The particular incident of the bald eagle’s depredation on the osprey chicks was caught in a video clip published June 26, 2015. It depicts raw nature at work and we debated whether to provide it here, but believe that many interested in the fascinating but complicated lives of raptors would want to see it. It’s a 1 minute clip but the content will be disturbing for some.
Oh no! Well, don’t think I’ll watch that one. : (
How do the adult osprey get water to their young chicks?
All the moisture they get is from the fish that is fed to them 🙂
I live in Annapolis Maryland right next to an osprey nest. I was sitting on the beach in front of it when I heard a loud crash. I turn around and there is a juvenile osprey on the ground in fragmities. I went over, got it untangles and carried it to a flat spot in the shade. It seemed fine; no broken wings or visible wounds. However, it was not moving much and was twitching occasionally. I watched it for about 5 mins and it appeared to be recovering (looking around, moving some parts, etc.) and all of a sudden it just died. What could be the cause of this and why was it so sudden?
Also the Osprey was about 12″ from beak to tail and had the mature colorings.
I watched a mother of 3 chicks on the cam and noticed her nonstop calling for 15 min.then dad came with fish ….after the feeding she continued anthem next day doing the same . Is she stressed
I want to thank Jane Fink for all of the info she posts, I’m partial to all raptors but have only seen Osprey and Bald Eagles in the wild. While visiting my daughter in North Idaho years ago I was able to watch one fishing in the river (Kootenai, I think) which ahs focused my attention on Osprey. Beautiful birds!!!!!
We have an osprey nest across the river. Babies are nearly full size and one spends most of its time out of the nest. However, the other one stays close to home and cries and cries. haven’t seen the parents for days. How long will the baby survive waiting for mom and dad? It obviously doesn’t know how to fish yet.
Never mind. He died today.
Valerie, that’s sad. Unfortunately, if the chicks are orphaned before they become self sufficient, that’s the likely outcome.
Is it legal to shoot osprey? I have a feeling that is what happened to the parents.
Valerie, we don’t know what state you’re in, but ospreys are listed as a threatened and protected species and are protected under state and federal law in all states.
I’m in Washington State. I have reason to suspect the parent birds were shot because they fish in this salmon river. I am so heart broken. I watched the nest since the time the babies were born. I watched the baby for three days calling out for mummy. How can I find out if it’s illegal in this state to shoot one of these beautiful birds. Do you know?
Valerie, we don’t know the laws specific to Washington state, but eagles, ospreys, hawks, falcons, kites, owls, vultures and all other native North American birds of prey are strictly protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. That includes a prohibition against the taking or possession of their parts such as feathers or talons. You can contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife through their website at wdfw.wa.gov, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington state at fws.gov/wafwo. Good luck.
Dear Jane,
I want to first thank you for all of your answers to my questions, and for you care of the great raptors. And secondly, I need to give you an update on the osprey nest.
After the young osprey cried continuously for 3-4 days, and left the nest only for 5 or 10 min at the most, usually flying to a lower branch and crying more, I was certain when he disappeared that he had died. I drove across the river and looked for the tree and any evidence, but didn’t find it. Also, there was a new mysterious white and dark brown area of the nest that we hadn’t noticed before, and we thought it was him. A branch obscured our view too much to make positive identification even with a telescope. Then a couple days later I saw the older sibling on the nest. He was the quieter baby, so I decided it was him…but of course I could be wrong. I watched the nest for about 30-40 minutes thinking if only another juvenile bird would show up, I could know the younger one lived.. And sure enough one did. Now, we do have other ospreys in the area, and another adult has been trying to claim the nest and get a mate, so we cannot be certain. But, then I remembered that the sibling had come to the nest a few times during the crisis and seemed to be trying to get the younger one to fly away with him. Sometimes he would, but would return pretty quickly. Also, the Saturday before we thought he died we saw the sibling drop something in the nest, but it didn’t look like a fish to me because it was so dark, and the baby didn’t go for it but continued to sit on the edge of the nest and cry. Do you think it’s possible the older sibling finally got the younger one to fish??? Also, a few days after that, an adult came to the nest and began calling out – not the desperate cry like the baby…just the normal calling of these birds. Then one of the juveniles showed up at the nest with a fish and began eating it. At that point I found out the adult also had a fish and ate it at the same time. When this ritual was finished the young one flew away and the adult stayed. I have not seen any juveniles since then. The adult would come and call often at the nest and finally another larger bird joined. Maybe a male securing a nest and then looking for a female? So far they have not mated, but I do see him there calling out and occasionally she comes to visit. Is it too late for this new pair to mate? My understanding is that these birds stay with their young for 2 or 3 months after fledging so I’m sure this isn’t the original adults as they were only with them for a week or so after fledging. I also investigated the possible shooting and my neighbor didn’t shoot them. He shoots the Cormorants for fishing in the river and going for the young salmon. While this disturbs me just as much, it solves that part of the question regarding the osprey.
Sorry for such a long note, but I am very interested in your take on all of these goings on.
Thanks!!!.
I guess I thought Jane was answering all these questions. I’d like feedback from whomever might understand these birds better than I. Thanks! : )
Next year if you witness an active nest and think you find orphans, contact your local raptor rehabilitation center and they can determine if you indeed have orphans.
Cheryl Crowder…
They were 50+- day babies. No question that something happened to the parents. I have never seen that pair again. And it is just my hope that the two juniors I saw a couple days later were the original ones. And yes, some local folks have told me that the Dept of Fish and Game will come to help birds of prey. We don’t have a rescue site such as yours. This didn’t answer my question about the new birds who started taking over the nest. Turns out it is too late. They are gone too. I guess I’ll just learn about these birds as I watch them over the years to come. We have at least two osprey nests, perhaps three, and one bald eagle nest. Thanks for all your wonderful information on these magnificent birds.
Every year hundreds of Ospreys migrate to southern Ontario for breeding. There are many man-made platforms where they build their nests. I observed for the first time a pair and their young babies last year in one such platforms by Lake Simcoe. This year I saw the parents (I presume that they are the same) coming back to the platform and started building nest and mating in the middle of April. Since then, every week-end I visit their nesting site hoping to see a baby or two popping their heads in the nest. Unfortunately I only see the parents continue mating to this date and often times both parents leave the nest for a prolonged period of time. This most likely means that she hasn’t laid any egg. How late they can be in laying egg? Is end of May already too late? Also, if there’s an egg or two in the nest will the female ever leave the nest? Or does she spend all her time tending the eggs?
Mating ospreys will continue to lay eggs and nest over a continuum of time. Once she has laid, an experienced set of parents will not leave the eggs unattended. Incubation posture is obvious in the female as she lays horizontal in the nest. Be patient, as there is still time for late
layers. Once laid they will relieve each other of their duties, never leaving the eggs.
– Janie Fink Veltkamp / Birds of Prey Northwest
Went out to feed my cats, and when I walked by my ladder leaning next to the house, I was surprised by a young osprey sitting on top of the ladder! My neighbors have an osprey nest set up and we always watch them every year. The young osprey keeps calling out, and can’t seem to fly for long periods of time. It just hops & flies a little from one tree top to another calling out. Will the parents help it or is it just left on its own now? It will surely die without assistance.
The “young osprey” atop the ladder requires further investigation. Depending on what state this question comes from, we have no “young osprey” yet here in North Idaho. Even if they have hatched they are not yet flying around. It is too early. What you may be observing is an adult whose mate did not return and is frustrated and calling out to a mate that will not return. The bird may also be wounded in some way if it cannot sustain flight. Either way if grounded, it should be captured and x-rayed. Also, another identifying feature is young osprey have orange eyes. Adults have yellow eyes.
– Janie Fink Veltkamp / Birds of Prey Northwest
Do female osprey eat the shells of their eggs after the chicks hatch?
I do not know if osprey moms eat the shells after the young hatch. Doing so sounds like a good way to replenish calcium stores. Let’s keep watching them on the osprey cam to find out!
– Janie Fink Veltkamp / Birds of Prey Northwest
Hi. I have an osprey that spends a lot of time in a line tree in my yard. It has been killing other birds that fly into my yard. I find feathers all over my yard every day and this morning witnessed it plucking a bluejay. It also dives at my cat…. This does not seem like typical behavior- or is it?
Thanks!
Your description is that of a hawk, as eating birds is NOT the work of an osprey. They are strictly a fish-eating raptor. The hawk that visits you is likely a Cooper’s hawk. Remember, when people put bird feeders out to feed songbirds they may be also indirectly feeding bird-eating hawks like the Cooper’s and the sharp-shinned hawks. Everything has to eat something. That’s why it’s called a food chain.
– Janie Fink Veltkamp / Birds of Prey Northwest
A female osprey has laid 2 eggs and the male has not brought food nor been seen for couple of days. At what point will she leave the eggs unattended to feed herself? – Also worried that when eggs hatch they will not survive if she has to leave them to hunt
When one of the mated pair is “lost” the other remaining nesting adult will eventually be forced to leave the nest when hunger overcomes them. Unfortunately it is not likely the eggs will survive. When the parent bird leaves to feed itself, the eggs will cool to a critical temperature. When we admit adult raptors to our facility in summer months, we know there is a potential they may have a mate waiting. The sad fact is that the offspring will not likely survive with only one parent bird.
– Janie Fink Veltkamp / Birds of Prey Northwest
Hi,
We have recently seen three adult osprey occupying the same nest. Have you seen this behavior before?
While it has been documented on rare occasion that a male osprey has serviced two nest sites, in general raptors are monogamous. This polygamous strategy puts great pressure on the male when young have hatched and he must forage for the additional young. By far the youngsters have a better chance at survival with one set of dedicated parents.
– Janie Fink Veltkamp / Birds of Prey Northwest
Great information! Is there any data on how many young survive the first year out of a given number? Also, is there any data on how well the dads tend to them after the mom migrates?
What will happen to mom and babies if dad doesn’t come back to nest after a few days. Will the mom go and try to fish leaving babies unprotected?
Randy
If the male dies will the female abandon the chicks?
I have Ospreys landing on the on the canvas top of the fly-bridge on my boat. They are
making a real mess. They are covering the boat with all types of debris and fish parts.
What can I do to stop them from returning? I have “gull-chasers” and already strung fishing line and streamers across the canvas, any ideas would be appreciated.
ospreys have made a nest on top of my chimney. The babies were born but they have come back. What can I do to remove the nest?
Hi: We just spotted your comment on the SandpointOspreys.com page. You need to wait until the nest is vacated in fall, then remove it. Ospreys have high nest fidelity so they may attempt to rebuild the nest next spring; to discourage that you would need some structures around the chimney to inhibit their access to the nest spot.
I believe that a small airplane hit the male osprey last night guarding the nesting female on a telephone pole on my land. Knowing that birds are relatively fragile, if he died, what will happen to the female who has been nesting for about three weeks? What should we?
I live on the Potomac River right close to the Chesapeake Bay. There was a nesting pair last year on my nest, but this year the nests around here are not paired. I have one sitting and calling, but no mate. Many nests are empty this year. Was the winter too cold? Rachel Schrote
We put a platform nest up in 2008, and this year we have our first osprey pair her on riverside state park on the Spokane river. They arrived April 17th and have been busy since, nest building,mating, now the female seems to be staying on the nest consistently. The birds have been named Mac and Ella after the first family to settle this little area of Rivermere at Seven mile.my question is in regard to setting up camera of course after they leave this fall. What is the best kind and what is approx cost? Thanks Laurie
Laurie: The answer is a bit complicated but here is the short one. Cameras can run under $1k to $5k-plus depending on the features you want. A full-motion video cam requires that you have a high-bandwidth network connection available to the nest site; it can be wireless, but the relay and power source, such as a solar array, will cost additional if you don’t have hard wires available to the nest site. Also, to stream video over the Internet you must use a streaming media server, which incurs several hundred dollars monthly expense.
I’ve been watching this osprey couple for a few months now, nesting and bringing fish to the nest, not sure how many chicks but the male osprey was killed and I was wondering if the female will be able to care and feed her chicks on her own now that the male will no longer return…..
Dear Jane,
Six years ago I had installed a web-site recommended constructed osprey platform in the canal in front of my cottage in the Outer Banks of NC. Once in a while over the years it would appear an osprey was interested in the platform but after a couple of landings, they never returned. Finally, last year a couple “courted” on the platform, coming and going frequently but never showing any serious nesting plans. This year, however, the couple , or another couple, showed up and started building a nest. I was thrilled. With the nest built, one stayed in it and the other came and went with twigs, food, etc. Then suddenly, maybe two or three weeks later, they both left. Is there an explanation for their sudden disappearance, i.e., is this normal, particularly if this was a first time young couple? If so, is there a chance they’ll return to the same nest next year? Thank you for any light you can shed of this mystery. Sincerely, Sandra Canepa, Hampton, VA and Kill Devil Hills, NC.
Dear Sandra,
My only speculation is this, regarding the mysterious departure of your osprey pair:
Many times, placed osprey poles and platforms lack one critical feature – the placement of predator control flashing. It may be that a raccoon or another ground predator accessed the nest, destroying the eggs or young, which would cause the pair to abandon the nest. Placing metal flashing in a 3-foot circumference around the base of the pole or tree can prevent this from happening. This material is easily found at any hardware store and is often used around chimneys.
Fantastic information here thanks for sharing it. I have a man-made osprey nest in the marsh behind my house. This is our second summer experiencing these awesome birds. Last summer (2012) our nest had 4 babies and it would seem that one or more of those babies came back this year. In April the parents tried to chase them off to the nest on the other side of the marsh, but this last month we’ve seen 3-4 adult osprey in the nest plus the daddy on the separate pole in front of the nest. Is this typically for the babies to come home and invade the nest so that no new babies are born that year?
Regarding the young returning and invading the nest they were born in: Young osprey take at least 2 years to reach maturity. Also they tend to migrate south to Central and South America and remain there until reaching maturity. At this time, the young ospreys’ eye color changes from youthful orange to adult yellow. If you are experiencing four in the nest this year, I would think that they are this year’s young. You can tell by the buffy tips on the feathers and the orange eye of the youngsters. I would bet there are 3 young in the nest with Mom present and the ever watchful male nearby!
I work for a small non-profit environmental group and we own an island on Cape Cod that is prime nesting habitat for coastal shorebirds. We have a very healthy Osprey population and it seems to grow larger every year. My question is that one of our members stated that he saw on 3 different occasions, an osprey take a plover chick and feed on it. It flew back to the nest and fed it to the young. Can this be true? I thought they fed primarily on fish.
Regarding the osprey predation on plover chicks: While osprey are fish eating birds of prey, it is not out of the question for them to take unusual prey items-especially when the parents have a growing family to feed!
Flying and mastering the art of making it back to the nest come first, then after several weeks of successful flights, hunting attempts will occur. Unitl then the little osprey wlill retrun to the nest for feedings. The sex of the osprey is unknown. Only about 80% of females sport a necklace and in the end size matters. The females are often larger than the males and the determinant factor is weight. Best guess is to note whether the youngster is closer in size to the respective parent bird. At 6 weeks of age the youngster is mostly full grown and will sport its youthful orange eye for 2 years to come.
Can you tell by looking at Baby O in the Sandpoint nest whether it is male or female. I’m betting on female but others think male. Thank you
Hi Jane,
We were chatting and have the following questions. Do the chicks leave the nest before or at the time of the fall migration (do they travel as a family the first year?)? Like salmon do they have ingrained annual migratory routes that they use from birth? Do they come back to area they were hatched? When do they take a mate? If they mated for life, what happens to widows/widowers?
Thanks, Bill
Chicks leave the nest at the time of fledging near the age of 48-60 days of age, well before fall migration. The family unit usually stays in tact for another 3 months or so. The birds do not migrate together as a family. These offspring do have ingrained migratory routes and return to the general area from where they were born, once they reach adulthood. Males generally speaking, return more closley to the natal area.
The ospreys usually require a minimun of 2 years to reach sexual maturity at which time the males select a nest site and then attract a female to that site. This pair bond is typically monogamous and life-long. The mate is only replaced upon the death of one.
HI JANE
JUST WONDERED IF THEFLEDGLING IS ABLE TO HUNT FOR ITSELF YET OR DO THE PARENTS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FOOD? I KEEP MISSING THE FEEDING EVENTS BUT AM NOTING THAT OUR LITTLE OSPREY FLIES PRETTY WELL….SO IS HUNTING OR FISHING INATE FOR THIS LITTLE ONE OR DOES HE OR SHE NEED TO BE TAUGHT? AND IS IT A BOY OR GIRL? THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INFO OVER THE WEEKS OF EXCITEMENT
Another question… How old are the chicks when they first start making noise (ie chirping, plaintive cry, etc.)? The other osprey nest in Colorado, we can hear a chirping sound and also a plaintive cry but the female’s mouth is not moving and the chick is not visible. Could the sound be coming from the chick that is about 2 weeks old? Very curious about these osprey!
I still have HOPE for the first egg that was laid, although I know it is probably not viable. My first question is what will they do with the unhatched egg? My second question regards the recent times that the eggs have been left alone – will that be a problem for the 2nd egg? Can they survive without being sat on for short periods of time?
Thanks for the quick response to questions!!! Now that we understand how the osprey catch their fish, can you comment about how they consume them?? You’re already noted that the chicks will be started off with ripped up pieces of fish flesh. From watching feeding in the nest, I’ve noticed this: 1) seems like only the bottom of the fish is delivered; 2) the entrails are the first eaten; 3) female spits out bones or scales? 4) both sexes seem to “burp up” and re-swallow after eating; and 5) I’ve seen her swallow a large section of tail several times. So, do the osprey eat the entire fish — head, scales, bones, etc? Let’s say they’re catching 4-5 inch trout — how many fish does an adult and chick each eat per day? Thanks!!!!!!
One more question on consumption. We see alot of dissect fish. how does the osprey tear these fish apart — beak, talons, both? Assuming a 4-5 inch trout how long would this take?
Having handled and observed many ospreys, it is clear the “fish hawk” bites and then twists with the beak. The talons are used to secure the slippery fish and anchor it. This is how the osprey manages its fish into smaller components. Many raptors remove the head of the prey item in times of plenty for caching and to ensure the item is dead. Entrails have differnet nutrients than say the bones do. The osprey often consumes the whole smaller fish, deriving important vitamins and minerals from different parts of the fish.
Larger fish with scales take more energy to consume and break down into managable parts. How much fish is consumed by the osprey depends on two main variables- the ambient temperature and the age of the bird. In times of cold weather raptors can double the amount of food intake-a mechanism to keep warm. Young growing raptors are full grown at six weeks of age and are capable of consuming TWICE what an adult osprey eats! Hence my previous emphasis on the phenomenal role the male osprey plays in just fishing for the growing family!
The osprey, like most day active hunters, relies mostly on sight to hunt. Osprey do not hunt at night, but rather are “diurnal hunters” like eagles, hawks, and falcons. Osprey differ from the other raptors in that they have a dislocatable shoulder, reversible toes, underwater vision, waterproof feathers, and velcro like pads on their feet. Their most unique feature is their ability to put their feet where their vision initialy saw the fish underwater. The osprey dives feet first into the water at speeds over 30 miles per hour!
Regarding your question about “catch rate”, osprey do not catch a fish on every dive. They adjust to the conditions, and undoubtably conditions like waves or cloudy or muddy water do affect their success rate. They have overcome all of these conditions for millions of years, and continue to thrive!
Hi, just wondering what senses make the Osprey such a good fisher. Is it vision, sound, scent, etc?? I’m wondering how they fish at night or when its wavy on the lake. Does their catch rate decrease during these times??? Thanks, love the site and info provided!
I have been recording and taking pictures through a telescope “our” Osprey on Osprey Lane and Whiskey Jack Circle for 8 years.
Every other year it seems, we have a chance for two baby Osprey being hatched. Is there
any knowledge of when you can expect three as we have had three four years ago. We called it a real wonder and they had a very devoted mom.
We had a veterinary neighbor who helped me with a fallen Osprey after it hit a live wire and damaged it’s wing. The Osprey was nursed to good health and let go several weeks later. It returned the following year. It has a tag we identify it by.
Thanks so much for all your information. I’m having my grandchildren in MAINE follow the Osprey on the web cam. What a teaching lesson for them.
The number of eggs laid by a pair of osprey is often influenced by weather and food supply. If the season yields a particularly abundant source of fish and warmer weather a larger number of eggs will be produced. Enjoy watching your fish hawks!
So do the chicks start feeding with digested material from the parents or do they start on fish flesh right away?
Bill, our biologist Jane Fink says the chicks get fresh fish immediately. The adults tear tiny bits of fresh fish and delicately feed the young.
Thanks for all this excellent information. Ospreys are my favorite bird and I have the pleasure of seeing them every day as First Mate aboard the Shawnodese in the Spring, Summer, & Fall. In the Winter, I live in Mulege’, on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. We have an abundant population of ospreys here. I have observed them here from December through May and believe that they do not migrate. I am told by local Mexicans that they are here year round. I am seeing them actively nest building right now. Is this unusual to have non-migratory ospreys? When I first moved here, I used to imagine that the ospreys I saw everyday might be the ones we observe on the Rail Bridge in Sandpoint, but alas, not the case.
Thanks again…
Hi Linda: We passed your question by our biologist, Jane Fink, and she replies:
Much like our resident and wintering bald eagle population in north Idaho, osprey, too are either stationary in their habitat or migratory. We have an influx of bald eagles in Idaho over the winter months, as wintering bald eagles are forced to leave the north as the freeze up occurs and head south to open waters. All the while our resident breeding pairs of eagles typically do not migrate. Likely the case in Mexico, that you have resident breeding osprey that never leave and those like our North Idaho population which migrate every fall and spring to the south. Many nonresident ospreys may winter in Mexico and sport colored leg bands. These osprey where part of a reintroduction effort across North America to reestablish populations of this fabulous raptor!
Hi, I am currently at a boat marina looking at boats to buy I am currently out of my home state, and there is a pair of ospreys here nesting in a marine travel lift. I am worried that they will be successful in building the nest but the travel lift will need to be used eventually. What will happen if the ospreys lay their eggs but then the travel lift has to be used? Is there anything I can I do to help them?
Hi Sarah – I’m not sure where this is located, but osprey nests are federally protected. If they are not living in the nest with eggs or chicks, the nest should be moved from the lift or the lift should be moved before there is an active nest. IF there are eggs it should be considered a no touch zone. You might contact either a licensed wildlife rescue or the local wildlife office and ask them what steps to take.
Hi,
I live on the coast of South Carolina and have had the opportunity over many, many years to observe the wonderful Osprey living its life in the environment above me. This week though a disturbing behavior is occurring. For the past week, 5 days as of today, a lone Osprey has been riding the thermals above my neighborhood just calling out over and over again. This goes on all day during the daylight hours with maybe breaks of 15mins or so. I called the bird of prey expert at our local wildlife refuge and she said she had never heard of this behavior. All she could think of is maybe it lost its mate. Have you ever heard of this behavior? It is killing me to hear the poor thing go on and on all day long.
Hi Eileen – Can you tell if the osprey you are seeing is an adult or juvenile? If it’s a juvenile it would still have white tips on it’s wing. I can only think that possibly, if an adult it is calling for it’s mate or wanting to have a mate and maybe communicating with other ospreys; if it is a juvie, maybe it is calling for food or communicating with other ospreys. I’m sure it is concerning hearing this all day, I do hope things work out for this osprey!