Osprey
Parks where protocol will be implemented
Importance / Issues
- The sensitivity of osprey (Pandion haliaetus) to contaminants and other human disturbances as well as its role as a top predator in a complex food chain, makes the osprey a useful indicator of environmental change.
- The osprey is a common breeding resident in Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area.
- Though the lake supports an apparently stable summer breeding population, little information has been collected on osprey in the area.
- The human activity in the vicinity of active nests along with the presence of contaminants may be adversely affecting successful reproduction in the population.
- Monitoring of osprey nesting and productivity is a critical element in the suite of information needed by park managers to adequately understand and manage park ecological condition.
Preliminary Monitoring Objectives
- Determine annual status and trend of nest occupancy for osprey.
- Determine annual status and trend of productivity (number of fledglings) for osprey.
Potential Measures
Nest occupancy (proportion occupied) and productivity (fledglings per nest).
Management Applications
Information gathered from this monitoring will be used to:- Inform regional/statewide assessment of species status.
- Identify critical areas for increased protection from adverse boating impacts.
- Indicate broader systemic effects of pollution in the area, if present.
Protocol Development & Status
Protocol development began in 2008, and a draft protocol was submitted for review in September 2009.
Contact Information
Lisa Garrett
Upper Columbia Basin Network Coordinator
University of Idaho
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Moscow, ID 83844-1136
Email
Document Links
- Resource Brief (link to Reports & Pubs page)
- Protocol Development Summary