Osprey Nesting Platform Project

Ospreys are large diurnal birds of prey that exist almost exclusively on a diet of live fish, earning them the nicknames: fish hawk, river hawk, or sea hawk. Although they are raptors, Ospreys are unusual amongst hawks in that they possess a reversible outer toe that allows them to grasp with two toes in front and two behind, whilst barbed pads on the soles of their feet help with gripping slippery fish. Ospreys have a cosmopolitan distribution-- they can be found on all continents except Antarctica and around nearly any body of water: saltmarshes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries, and even coral reefs.

In 1979, Osprey were listed as extirpated in Pennsylvania. In 1986, the state had only one known nesting pair and they were reclassified as endangered. Thanks to successful reintroduction attempts, in 1997, Ospreys were downgraded from endangered to threatened and by 2017 their populations in the state were finally stable enough to be downgraded to protected.

Ospreys have an affinity for nesting atop primary energized wires, which is both dangerous to the birds and problematic for the energy company. Nesting material can catch fire after coming into contact with those wires, or if an osprey touches part of the wire it can be electrocuted. Young birds are particularly at risk when they begin to fledge. In the case of fires, poles can be damaged and electrical outages occur. The nesting platforms are therefore a way to keep the birds, their young, and the nesting material up off of the wires, a win-win situation for everyone involved.

How can you help? 

Please report locations where you have seen Osprey attempting to build nests on a utility pole. We will provide location information to the utility, and provide a platform for them to install. With landowner permission, they will put in a new, separate pole and erect the platform for the Osprey to use. They will also add deflectors to the cross bar of the original pole in an attempt to stop the Osprey from continuing to build its nest there. 

How do I report a location? 

• Call Erie Bird Observatory at (814) 580-8311

• Send an email to us at info@eriebirdobservatory.org

• Create an account on www.osprey-watch.org and report a new nest. This site will allow you to keep reporting all the observations you make at the nest through the season, and we can keep tabs on it too. 
  

What information is needed? 

• Location, location, location! The most critical piece of information is to get as exact a location as you can. A pole number is ideal, or if it is not safe or feasible to get close enough to record the number, then the geographic coordinates of where you are observing from are fine. Most cell phone mapping apps can tell you your latitude and longitude. You may need to “drop a pin” in that location.

• A description of what you see. A few sticks on top of a cross bar? Adult ospreys arriving carrying sticks? A large pile of sticks? A completed nest?

• The date you observed the nest or birds. 

• Your name and contact information so we can get back in touch to follow up with you.

Thank YOU for Participating!