Blog # 428 Building Osprey Platforms: principals, placement, and designs

A pair of mated Ospreys take a break from nest building, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

The proliferation of artificial nesting platforms across the US has been instrumental in helping Ospreys recover from near-extinction caused by DDT. By providing breeding habitat at this critical recovery time, Ospreys were welcomed back to the Atlantic seaboard and the northeast. Artificial nesting platforms provide safe places for Ospreys to raise their young and have proven to be more stable than most natural nesting sites. To ensure that a breeding pair adopts a newly built platform it must be built properly and located at a site conducive to Ospreys. Please keep the following considerations in mind when building and erecting an Osprey nest platform:

• Proximity to Water: Site the platform within a few miles of an uncontaminated body of water body having shallow areas and plenty of fish.

• Build in the Open: Erect the platform in an open area with clear views of the surroundings. Trees less than 100 feet away may hide predatory Great Horned Owls.

• Make it Strong: A nest is reused year after year and generation after generation with new sticks being added continually. An older nest may weigh 300 pounds or more. The underlying structure must be quite durable.



Male Osprey bring his catch to the nest, courtesy of Cindy Sedlacek.

• Avoid Eagles: If there is an active Bald Eagle nest in the area, place the nest platform at least 0.25 miles from it. Eagles are an Osprey's nemesis as they frequently steal their fish, harass them, and sometimes kill their young.

•Predatory Great Horned Owls: Owls steal Osprey eggs and nestlings. Locate Osprey nest platforms in the open at least 0.25 miles from tall trees and known Great Horned Owl nests.

• Provide Perches: Attach one or two 2" x 4" boards angled upwards to the sides of the nest box for perches from which the parents can guard the nest. The absence of a perch in the nest shown below is a notable omission.

• Build Early: The nests should be in place by late March to mid-April for to optimize the chances that they will be used. However, it is fine to erect platforms at any time because the juveniles and newly mated birds will imprint on them for the following year.

• Prevent Predation: Single pole structures are preferable for building platforms on land, while multiple poles in bodies of water with potential ice jams. Attach a predator guard, such as a sleeve of aluminum flashing, around the pole(s) to stop raccoons and other climbing predators from reaching the nest.



Quadrapod platform (missing perch) is best for A single pole for building on land with for building in water. a perch missing.

• Seed the Nest: Place a small pile of sticks in the new nest box to stimulate the Ospreys to nest in it. If the sticks are added months in advance, tie them down with zip ties to prevent them from blowing away. Never use twine or fishing line in a nest, as they are strangulation hazards.

• Minimal Disturbance: Chose a site with minimal disturbances. However, Ospreys largely ignore boats, trains, and automobile traffic provided they do not stop to harass the birds. Bird watchers are tolerated if they stay a respectable distance of 300 feet from the nest. If disturbed, they respond by crying, cackling, flying around the nest, and sometimes dive-bombing the observer. As the season progresses, some Ospreys relax and acclimate to visitors, especially as the chicks mature, allowing observers to approach at closer distances. Listen to the Ospreys; they will let you know when you are too close.

• Fireworks: The perfect nest location—open space proximate to water—is also perfect for fireworks. Several Cayuga Lake Basin nests suffer from this problem. They profoundly disturb many birds. Locate fireworks in areas away from Osprey nests and possibly vice versa.

• Permission to Build: Ask for a landowner's permission before installing a nest platform on or even near their property. For state-owned lands, contact the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to get special use permits.

• Colony Formation: Ospreys tend to nest alone or in loose semi-colonial groups. Each spring, young Ospreys returning to breed for the first time often search for suitable nest sites within a few miles of their birthplace. In areas with plentiful food, nesting platforms can be placed within 300 feet of each other. Some speculate that hunting in groups may improve the Osprey's hunting efficiency.

• Report Your Nest Platform: If you build an Osprey nest platform, please notify Candace Cornell at <cec222@gmail.com> and include the address where the nest is located and, if possible, the GPS coordinates or a Google Map. This information will be part of an ongoing regional Osprey database. Your name and address will not be made public.




Eyes to the sky!

Candace





Candace E. Cornell

Cayuga Lake Osprey Network

Friends of Salt Point, Lansing, NY

cec222@gmail.com

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