The osprey population on Long Island’s East End remains healthy. That's according to a triennial survey by Group for the East End, a nonprofit promoting environmental conservation on the North and South Forks.
Staff and volunteers monitored about 500 nests across the five East End towns. They documented 385 active pairs, a nine percent increase from the last survey in 2022.
"The osprey has sort of become an emblem of the East End of Long Island", said Jennifer Skilbred with Group for the East End.
She said because the raptors are so visible nesting in tall, unobstructed platforms, they are the first window into wildlife for many residents.
“You can see them nesting near beaches, on the side of roadways, and you can sort of watch them build the nest, sit on the eggs, feed the young," Skilbred said. "You can really see their life in action, so it’s an exciting way to feel closer to wildlife.”
Group for the East End has been monitoring osprey for more than 30 years, but formal surveys are now every three years because numbers have been so robust.
Skilbred said long-term data helps track changes in the region's aquatic ecosystem.
“Osprey rely almost entirely on fish for their diet, so they really need a healthy coastal waterway. Scientifically, it’s super interesting to pay attention to them, which gives us information about the health of our local waterways.”
Active nests this summer produced 386 fledgling chicks, meaning they survived to the point where they could fly. That’s a 24% dip from 2022, but Skilbred says it’s still a great number. It could be because of extreme weather events, or the area’s growing bald eagle population — sometimes known to prey on osprey eggs.
DDT, a pesticide linked to kidney and liver failure in animals, had decimated the osprey population back before the U.S. banned its use in 1972, according to the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Officials credit the comeback to public awareness campaigns, a partnership with PSEG Long Island to keep the birds away from utility poles, and an increase in bunker fish — one of the osprey’s favorite foods.
