DNR - Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Ospreys in Hacking Box

The "fish hawk" is brown above and white below, and files with a distinct bend in its wing at the "wrist." Their feet are equipped with spiny scales and long talons that give them a firm grip on slippery fish, their only prey. Ospreys usually select tall trees in marshes along streams, lakes or man made floodings. They will adapt to artificial nesting platforms. This "help" from humans, along with the restriction of certain harmful pesticides, has helped ospreys recover from the drastic population reductions seen in the 1950s and '60s. The Nongame Wildlife Fund located 166 pairs in 1988, up from the 81 counted in 1975. Heavy use of pesticides on its winter range in Central and South America still threaten the osprey.

Osprey Approaching Nest

The Department of Natural Resources requests help from wildlife observers to report any sightings of osprey in southern Michigan, particularly in the Maple River area (north of St. Johns,) and in southeast Michigan (Oakland, Wayne, Macomb and Livingston counties.) For the past several years, the Nongame Wildlife Fund has supported the transfer of osprey chicks from the northern Lower Peninsula to southern Michigan. Chicks are reared in "hacking" towers until they are ready to fly and feed on their own. After fledging, the young ospreys migrate to South America to winter. In early April of their second or third year, osprey often return to nest in the area where they learned to fly. It is anticipated that these released birds will form the core of a successful population in southern Michigan, eventually expanding their range along rivers and other floodings. To date, 50 osprey have been released through this program.

If you observe an osprey in southern Michigan, please report your observation to the DNR online. Please report only those osprey observed in the southern part of Lower Michigan. Any information will be useful including location, time, activity (flying, fishing, etc.), and markings. It is especially important to note if the bird is banded and, if possible, the number on the band.