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Ospreys Continue Their Rebound in Connecticut

Brian Garrett
/
Creative Commons
At least 95 pairs of ospreys have produced young this year, averaging about two chicks per nest.

In 1972, there were only seven active osprey nests in Connecticut. The birds were listed as endangered or threatened in many states -- due to the widespread use of the toxin DDT, which was banned that same year.

Now, thanks to that, and things like catch limits on menhaden, which are a favorite food of the bird -- the Connecticut Audubon Society knows of nearly 500 osprey nests in the state.

"In the state of Connecticut, our ospreys tend to by in large be found along the coast," said Alexander Brash, president of the Connecticut Audubon Society. "Other ospreys, in much smaller numbers, are found going up along the rivers -- like the Housatonic and the Connecticut."

Brash's organization is coordinating the a program called Osprey Nation, which recruits volunteers to spot and monitor osprey nests. Brash said the idea is to use ospreys as a "bioindictator," a touchstone for the overall health and ecology of their environment.

Brash said only five percent of nests (a total of 14) were found on Connecticut utility poles, and even fewer were found on cell towers.

"The good news was that over 75 percent of our ospreys were up on human-made platforms," Brash said. "The kind of platforms that had been made for them by the state's [DEEP] or Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts."

And here's some more good news about the birds: Brash said at least 95 pairs of ospreys have produced young this year, averaging about two chicks per nest.

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

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