Ospreys
Osprey Life History
The osprey is one of the few species of birds found on every continent except Antarctica. Also called Fish Hawk, it is also one of the few species that can hover and plunge into the water to catch its’ primary food, fish.
As widespread as osprey are today, it wasn’t too long ago that they almost went extinct! During the 1950s and 60s they were almost wiped out by DDT, a powerful pesticide that was used extensively on crops and to control mosquitos. DDT ingested by fish eaten by osprey, caused the shell around their eggs to become so thin that the egg would crack during incubation causing the embryo to die. It wasn’t until DDT was banned in 1972 that osprey populations in the US began to increase.
Ospreys in New England spend their winters in South America and return north in mid to late March. Although the male and female winter in different areas, the pair return to the same nest each year, with the male arriving first followed by the female several days later. Nest building or nest repair is the first chore. Osprey will use almost anything they can pick up in their nest building. Shoes, belts, plastic bags, fishing gear, rope and even plastic car fenders. While nests use to be built in old dead trees, today most nesting occurs on man-made structures especially artificial nest platforms.
The osprey is one of the few species of birds found on every continent except Antarctica. Also called Fish Hawk, it is also one of the few species that can hover and plunge into the water to catch its’ primary food, fish.
Courtship and mating activity occur during this period. The first egg is usually appearing in mid-April. Typically, 2-3 eggs are laid. Incubation by both the female and male takes 35-40 days. During this time the male does the fishing and brings fish to the nest for the female. After hatching the male continues to bring fish to the female to feeding the young. By late June or early July, the fast-growing chicks begin to jump around in the nest, exercising their wings. Soon the young begin to fly and explore, but still return to the nest. The adults usually begin their 3-4,000-mile migration south in early September leaving the juveniles to fend for themselves. Juveniles begin their first perilous migration south in late September.
Conanicut Island adult and juvenile osprey spend their winter in South America. Adults return to the same nest site every year while young will spend almost two years in South America before making their first migration north to the area where they were born, seeking a mate and nest site. Life expectancy can exceed twenty years!
Currently, osprey populations in North America are doing well thanks to the banning of DDT and the efforts of many to build and erect osprey nest platforms. Conanicut Island currently has 24 nest sites for osprey: in 2023 eighteen of these sites were occupied. A real success since in 2005 there was only one active osprey nest!
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