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September 22, 2006
STATE WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS AGAIN MONITORING OSPREY MIGRATION
Bird that nested at Alum Creek Lake being tracked as it flies south for the winter
Follow the Migration | Ospreys in Ohio
COLUMBUS, OH - For the second consecutive year, wildlife enthusiasts can access the Internet to follow the migration of osprey that nested in central Ohio, thanks to a research project of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
During the summer of 2005, biologists with the Division of Wildlife attached satellite transmitters to two adult osprey nesting at Alum Creek Lake in Delaware County. The transmitters enabled the biologists to track the birds’ movements along their yearly migration route to and from South America; those movements were posted on the division’s web site at ohiodnr.com/wildlife
Last spring, the male of the pair returned safely to Ohio. But the female osprey died in South America, just after beginning her northern migration. The male paired with another female, successfully rearing two chicks this year.
State wildlife biologists report that the male bird’s transmitter continues to function properly and that the osprey recently began his southerly fall migration.
“We hope this project will continue to help us better understand the ospreys’ migration patterns, including whether they follow the same routes year after year,” said Dave Sherman, wildlife biologist with the division. “We also hope this opportunity enables Ohioans to gain insight into the wonders of migration as they follow the osprey south.”
What is already known about osprey migration is that each member of a pair migrates at a different time and usually to a different location. Females usually leave for the south a month before the males - as happened with the radio-marked female in 2005. Females may leave earlier to reduce competition for food, while males may remain to help feed the young until they become accomplished hunters. Alum Creek’s male osprey remained at the lake and close to this year’s offspring until recent days.
This year, a record 46 osprey pairs produced 75 chicks in Ohio, up from last year’s breeding season when 62 chicks were produced from 37 nests. While osprey nests can be found along inland lakes throughout the state, northeastern Ohio has the highest concentration.
Dark brown upper parts, a distinctive dark eye line, as well as brown and white tail bands, offset the white chest and head feathers of the osprey - also known as a fish hawk. These birds of prey are 22 to 25 inches tall and have wingspans of 4.5 to 6 feet. Upon reaching breeding maturity at 3 or 4 years of age, ospreys seek mates then choose suitable nesting sites along large inland bodies of water. A female osprey typically lays two to three eggs and both adults share in rearing of offspring. Ospreys return to the same nest site year after year.
The Division of Wildlife began reintroducing the osprey to the state in 1996, releasing 32 birds that year. Prior to reintroduction efforts, the last ospreys known to have hatched in the state were in a nest at Grand Lake St. Marys in 1913. The last known nest in the state was at Buckeye Lake in 1941. Ospreys are a state-endangered species.
Reintroduction of the osprey is supported by sales of cardinal license plates. Plates can be obtained from any deputy registrar’s office or by calling 1-888-PLATES3. Ohioans can also contribute by checking the appropriate box for wildlife diversity efforts on their Ohio income tax form.
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