Protected Status of the Osprey

By Mike Scheibel, Wildlife Manager for the Nature Conservancy's Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island: Ospreys (like other raptors found in NY) are protected by both state and federal law. In addition to the legal protection afforded most native avians in NY, the osprey was listed in or about 1976 on NY's first endangered species list. This additional layer of protection increases fines and other penalties for harassment, take, etc., but perhaps more importantly opens funding channels for management activities associated with recovery strategies. Due to the ospreys' dramatic recovery in NY over the past quarter century, DEC has down-listed this species to "threatened" and then "special concern" status. The level of legal protection has not decreased, but rather the down-listing reflects the less critical population status of the species in NY.

June 30, 2003 Commentary: The observations in this commentary are based on my observations and experiences as a volunteer for the Osprey Introduction Program at Tioga-Hammond Lakes, Tioga, PA (and later by osprey choice at the Cowanesque Lake, Lawrenceville, PA) during three summers of the 5-year project and during several follow-up years. Dennis Puleston's influence is the reason for my family's interest and involvement in this project and for our support of the Dennis Puleston Osprey Fund. More details about our connection with Dennis are related in an article entitled "Remembering Dennis" in the Spring 2003 issue of the Post-Morrow Newsletter, also available at the corresponding link on the Homepage of this website.
— Marilyn Porto Abbey (Retired teacher; osprey watcher)

In 1990 through 1994, biologists worked in co-operation with the Army Corps of Engineers and with the support of volunteers to establish an inland breeding population of ospreys near the South-central border of NYS and the North/central border of PA. The project used a technique called "hacking" developed by Dr. Charles Schaadt, Penn State University and Dr. Larry Rymon, East Stroudsburg University. Hacking involves the process of removing young osprey chicks from "donor" nests and raising them in a tower in enclosed artificial nests at the reintroduction site. Near the time of expected fledging, the enclosure screen is lowered to form a platform from which the young ospreys are free to fly when they are ready. Volunteers assist in weighing, banding, reporting observations, feeding the chicks their normal diet of fish until the birds are fishing successfully on their own. The ospreys become imprinted on the area, migrate in the fall to Central or South America and return from their wintering grounds in 1&1/2 yrs., when they are mature.

Practice Take-Offs: A remarkable incident at a Hammond Lake Hacking Tower, Tioga, PA, summer 1993. This incident demonstrates the amazing skill of young ospreys: One of our ospreys was standing on the edge of the tower platform exercising her wings. At one point, she lifted off about 6 inches and was watching her dangling feet when a gust of wind came and tumbled her backwards off the platform. At about 3-4 feet off the ground, she flapped her wings and righted herself. She arched around in a most graceful flight and landed in a dead tree about 100 yards away, as though she had been doing it for years!

Concern: There has been some concern about the belief of some people that the female osprey won't return to the nest to feed the chicks if humans go near the nest or disturb the chicks in any way.
Unlike condors and vultures, ospreys can't smell worth a darn, so human scent is not an issue here. Maybe that's how they can ignore the smell of decaying fish parts after so many fish meals have been served in one place!

Here is an eye-witness account: The scene is the first natural nest in our area, built by a pair of ospreys, on a dead tree in Cowanesque Lake, Lawrenceville, PA. in 1994. The biologists/naturalists approached the nest by pontoon boat. The purpose was to band the chicks for research (tracking, survivors, returnees, etc.) The adult female flew off the nest and the male soon joined her flying around overhead. The three chicks were banded in approximately 20 minutes, and from the time we left, the female parent was back on the nest in 20 seconds. They did scold us, but they never tried to attack us, and our interruption didn't discourage them from coming back in a flash! The chicks thrived and lived to fledge and fish on their own. The ospreys have returned to that same nest for nine years and have raised a total of 27 healthy chicks.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ospreys

Osprey Statistics

Ave. incubation: 34-40 days
Hatching to fledging: 7-8 weeks
Average weight: 3.1 lbs. (Females slightly bigger/heavier)
Wing span: 4 1/2 Ft. to 6 Ft.
Number of eggs per season: usually 2 the first year and 3 every year after the first.

FAQ: As the chicks get older and can be left alone for longer periods of time, does the mother ever go out and catch any fish for them? Or is it only the father that goes for food?

A: Osprey chicks are left alone for longer periods of time as they get older. (Eagles do it too,.... small birds, too). The female does most of the feeding especially when the chicks are young. It would be too risky to leave them alone until they are much larger. At this point in the chicks' development we have watched the female osprey wait and call for the male to come back and when he didn't, she would finally leave the nest and do the fishing herself. She would eat a little herself and then feed the chicks. I have also seen the male come to the nest "empty-taloned," watch the female leave to go fishing and then take over the incubating or "chick sitting" while she is gone. The male does help with the feeding as the chicks get older and after the chicks fledge, they still depend on both parents for food, sometimes for as long as 4-8 more weeks. Normally, the male does most of the fishing and delivery of meals and he is an expert at it.

Timeline at this nest Submitted by Dave Shore:

Adult ospreys arrive March 23, begin fixing nest and doing their spring ritual of he feeds her, she submits to copulation, they both build on the nest.

The first egg is laid April 8, second April 11, third April 15, fourth and
last on April 18. Both adults take turns sitting on the eggs.

First chick hatches on May 17 at approximately 7:00 AM. Male stops sitting on chick and eggs, female assumes full duty, male supplies fish.

Second chick hatches May 17 at approximately 6:00 PM, the third hatches May 20 around 1:00 PM and the fourth on May 24 around 6:00 AM. Fourth chick only survives a few hours, the weather was cool and very wet.

Initially all three remaining chicks got fed regularly. Starting on May 25, the older, bigger two chicks began their aggression against the younger third chick. They would take turns pecking and blocking the chick from feeding until they had eaten themselves to sleep. As time passes the aggression becomes more frequent and severe.

Beginning in June, the by now much smaller third chick is regularly kept from feeding. The pecking and pushing are more severe and the third chick is forced to lay still while the other two feed. If there is anything left when the older chicks are done, the female feeds it to the third chick.

By June 11, the third chick is no longer getting fed, or very little. It
dies sometime on June 13, but remains in the nest until the next day. We are trying to figure out how it was removed by reviewing the archives.

June 14, the remaining two chicks begin aggression against each other, they stand and stretch their necks and wings and then peck. The dominant one then would get behind the other and herd it to the edge of the nest where it is forced to lay with it's head down. The dominant one then eats until satisfied and the other gets what is left. The adults show no sign of intervening. Both chicks are about the same size and have lots of feathers coming in. They will stand facing the wind and flap their fuzzy wings, stretching and exercising. They also are very vocal, calling out like the hen when she is calling the male.

June 27, the chicks were observed practicing takeoffs by facing into the wind, flapping their wings and hopping into the air a few inches, then landing back in the nest. The chicks have also become very vocal. They sound like the adults, although not quite as loud.