May 10, 2004
Int'l Migratory Bird Day
Nest Update: All is going well on the nest. The weather remains good. And just a reminder -- we expect the eggs to hatch around mid to late May, and if they all hatch, they will do so in the order they were laid.
Pic of the Week: Our Pic of the Week goes to Kathy R, who sent in a pair of photos showing the osprey parent using a clod of soil to cover and uncover the eggs. The ospreys bring grass and soil clods to the nest to fill in the gaps between the sticks, and apparently the parents are also using the clods to keep the eggs warm and safe.
On May 8, 2004 -- this past Saturday -- we celebrated International Migratory Bird Day, an annual one-day event, held on the second Saturday in May, to celebrate the incredible journeys migratory birds make from their wintering grounds in Mexico, Central, and South America to their breeding grounds in North America.
Ospreys that reside in northern subtropical regions (such as southern Florida, Baja California, and the Pacific coast of Mexico) are year-round residents in those areas and do not migrate, but the remaining ospreys of the world migrate to warmer climates during the winter months. Chesapeake Bay ospreys migrate mostly to South America, and sometimes Central America, leaving the Bay area in September and returning the following March.
Like all migratory birds, ospreys face numerous challenges wherever they roam. While summering in North America, ospreys are forced to deal with intense competition for quality nest sites, a sometimes stressed-out food supply due to overfishing by humans, and extensive development along shorelines, which can lead to an impaired aquatic environment.
Lack of quality nest sites is especially problematic for ospreys because it can make birds delay their breeding for a few years, or even force them to nest in dangerous locations, such as on power line poles. Electrocutions and nest fires are deadly hazards for all raptors that nest near power lines.
Wintering in South and Central America can be equally challenging for ospreys. DDT -- the pesticide that had such a devastating impact on American osprey eggs in the 1950s and 1960s -- is still used in South and Central America, even though it was banned in the U.S. in 1972. In addition, logging of tropical forests can trigger erosion and runoff, leading to poor visibility in streams and rivers, as well as damaged reefs and fish-poor coastal waters, thus making it harder for ospreys to find food.
In Europe, egg-collecting is still a threat to ospreys. And in all parts of the ospreys' domain, hunting remains a potential threat -- even in the U.S. where ospreys are legally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Although shootings are rare, when they do happen they often come about because the local fish supply is poor and ospreys are forced to hunt in fish farms or commercially stocked ponds -- thus drawing the ire of gun-toting owners.
But despite these many obstacles, ospreys still remain one of the great comeback stories in U.S. conservation history. To many conservationists, ospreys are a living example that humans can learn from their mistakes and alter their behavior in time to save an entire species. Ospreys have certainly taught us that if we care enough, anything is possible.
If you're interested in learning how you can help migratory birds -- such as by shopping for shade-grown coffee or buying Duck Stamps -- then read our International Migratory Bird Day Citizen Tip Sheet (PDF - 93KB). Also, you can learn more about migratory birds by visiting the Smithsonian Institution's online Migratory Bird Center.
Until next time,
Lisa - webmaster (contact)
Submitted by Kathy R