Osprey Nest Causes Closure At Popular Rye Playland Ride

A major ride at a popular Westchester amusement park is temporarily shut down thanks to some avian visitors who decided it was a perfect site to build their home.

Playland Park
Photo Credit: *Facebook/Playland Park*

The Gondola Wheel at Rye Playland is closed as a result of Osprey nesting.
Photo Credit: *Google Maps*

Ben Crnic

05/20/2024 1:00 p.m.

The Gondola Wheel at Rye Playland is temporarily closed because of an active Osprey nest built on the ride, the park announced on Thursday, May 16.

The park, which opened for the season on Saturday, May 18, said the wheel would be closed "until further notice" to protect the Ospreys who have called it home. Park officials also said they would continue to share updates with guests.

Ospreys, large birds of prey measuring 22-25 inches with a wingspan of 4-6 feet, are mainly found on Long Island and in the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The species experienced a decline in the mid-20th century as a result of eggshell thinning caused by the DDT pesticide.

Since around the turn of the century though, the species has been making a comeback, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The species was downgraded from "Threatened" to "Special Concern" in 1999.

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