Osprey

Parks Where Protocol Has Been Implemented

• Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

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.

Monitoring Objectives

• Determine annual status and trend of nest occupancy for osprey.
• Determine annual status and trend of productivity (number of fledglings) for osprey.

Osprey NestWatch Program

The Osprey NestWatch program is a volunteer program developed by the Upper Columbia Basin Network in collaboration with Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. The main objectives of this effort are to monitor osprey nest use and nesting success, and to inform park staff and the public about the status and trend of the osprey populations at Lake Roosevelt NRA.

In-depth Information: