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Additionally, the fish seem to be free of toxins that would harm Ospreys and reduce their breeding success, as happened in the middle of the 20th century because of DDT, according to the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Osprey Nation report for 2015, released to mark the start of the citizen science monitoring program’s 2016 season.
Osprey populations worldwide began to fall shortly after the introduction of the toxic organochlorine pesticide DDT in 1948, which interfered with calcium deposition, resulting in brittle eggs that broke during incubation. DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, when Ospreys were at an all-time low.
“‘Canary in a coal mine’ is not just a metaphor. Birds tell us a great deal about what’s happening in the environment, and are often the first indicator of environmental problems,” said Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon’s senior director of science and conservation. “In this case what they are telling us is good news. The Osprey population trend over recent decades is obviously up and the population looks to be healthy.”
Connecticut Audubon staff coordinates the Osprey Nation volunteers, records data on an interactive map on the organization’s website, and shares the data with biologists at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and other partners. In its second year, the number of nest locations added to the project’s interactive map rose from 414 to 515, the number of active nests recorded rose from 210 to 250 and the total number of hatchlings rose from 221 to 415, and 356 of those hatchlings fledged.
Osprey Nation stewards found nests in every county except Tolland and in 56 of the state’s 169 towns. The increases show Osprey Nation is becoming more successful as a program.
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