Osprey Restoration in New Hampshire

Ospreys, along with other bird species, became endangered in the 1950s and 60s when widespread use of DDT and other pesticides contaminated the aquatic food chain. Feeding on fish exposed to DDT, ospreys laid eggs with abnormally thin shells that broke under the weight of the nesting adults. Successful reproduction became nearly impossible. By 1980, there were only three active osprey nests in New Hampshire—a former stronghold for osprey populations.

A Helping Hand
While the use of DDT had been banned in the United States in 1972, the few ospreys left in the state in 1980 were still struggling with poor breeding and slow population growth. Studies done by the Audubon Society of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department suggested that raccoons and other predators were robbing osprey nests of eggs and chicks. Metal predator guards were installed around the trunks of nesting trees to prevent raccoons from climbing to the nests, and osprey nesting success began to increase.

Project Osprey
By 1999, there were 22 active osprey nests and 28 young fledged in New Hampshire, and the species inhabited two of the state’s five major watersheds. Ospreys were slowly making headway in the Granite State, but they still had a ways to go. In 2000, Project Osprey was launched by the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department, Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire to work toward a full recovery of the state-threatened bird of prey, and to promote greater overall public awareness of the importance of healthy ecosystems to support wildlife populations.

A Natural Partnership
As the state’s largest electric utility, PSNH had long been a partner in osprey recovery by providing crews and equipment to erect man-made nesting platforms for ospreys. Project Osprey took this natural partnership to the next level, allowing collaborators to install 15 more nesting platforms, critical for attracting ospreys into new areas of the state. PSNH also provided $95,000 in funding for the five-year project, enabling wildlife biologists to focus on the recovery effort with renewed vigor.

A Record-Setting Season
By 2005, six years after Project Osprey began, osprey numbers had doubled in New Hampshire. Setting new highs for the post-DDT era, ospreys occupied 43 active nests, produced 62 young, and settled in four of New Hampshire’s major watersheds in 2005.

Continued Efforts
PSNH funding for Project Osprey officially ended in 2004, but the long-term effects of the program continue to benefit the threatened species. Nesting structures built and maintained by PSNH are expected to get more and more use as the osprey population grows throughout the state. PSNH crews will also continue to move nests from potentially dangerous sites near power lines, and osprey monitoring will carry on in southeastern New Hampshire—under the leadership of the staff at the Sandy Point Discovery Center—by the Great Bay Osprey Stewards. The Audubon Society of New Hampshire continues to receive site observation reports and to promote osprey education through a number of initiatives.

Ospreys Online
The Ospreys Online website at psnh.com provides incredible close-up views of osprey nesting activity for students, bird-watchers, and the general public to enjoy. A teacher’s curriculum (PDF file format, 858KB) on ecological concepts, developed as part of Project Osprey, is also available to use in conjunction with the Ospreys Online in the classroom.

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