Ospreys making a comeback

Before man nearly wiped out a number of wildlife species in Ohio such as bald eagles, deer, wild turkey, river otters and trumpeter swans, the Buckeye State was like the rest of the North American landscape -- full of these animals and quite a few more.
Fortunately, concern by sportsmen, wildlife experts and others grew before tragedy could reign, and efforts began in earnest in the latter half of the 19th century to reverse the trend.
Since then, Ohio has had great success in bringing back many species. Efforts have helped white-tailed deer and wild turkey to the extent of providing excellent hunting opportunities, and bald eagles and trumpeter swans so that these species seem to be holding their own and even thriving in their former ranges here.
Another effort
Last week, biologists from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife were in the Berlin Wildlife Area working on another reintroduction success story, this time with the osprey.
Tom Henry, an assistant wildlife management supervisor at the DOW's District Three office in Akron, said that efforts to help the osprey regain ground in Ohio have been doing very well.
"We've got about 15 natural nests in Ohio," with about 11 in northeastern Ohio, he said. That figure is significant because before 1995-96, when the first natural modern-day osprey nest was discovered, the last known osprey nest in Ohio was at Grand Lake St. Mary's in 1913. An osprey pair began building the Berlin nest in 1996.
The culprit
The reason for the osprey's downfall was the same as for the bald eagle and other raptors: DDT and other pesticides decimated the species through reproductive failures.
The Ohio reintroduction effort includes hacking, or helping young birds survive to fledge (learn to fly) from the nest. Banding efforts such as those last week help by gathering data on the health of the chicks, Henry said.
After they have fledged, the young birds will strike out on their own, eventually heading to locations in South and Central America were they overwinter until returning here in the spring to start the cycle all over again, Henry explained.
Ospreys are listed as a state endangered species. Ohio's Osprey Program is funded by the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Fund.
The fund is derived from contributions to the state income tax checkoff program and from the sale of wildlife conservation license plates.
mbraun@vindy.com