Did you know?

Since 2004 we've installed over 200 nesting platforms for ospreys to help the population recover from the effects of DDT.

>> Learn More

New Jersey Osprey Project

Conserve Wildlife Foundation plays an active role in helping to manage and protect ospreys in New Jersey.

NEWS / Feb 22, 2023: Results from the 2022 NJ Osprey Project Survey and Census have been published online. The report summarizes the efforts of staff and dedicated volunteers who documented 733 nesting pairs of osprey in New Jersey.

Historically, before the effects of DDT caused the state's osprey population to decline, over 500 osprey nests could be found along New Jersey's coastline. By the early 1970s, around 50 nests remained. The effects of DDT in the food chain caused reproduction to fail, and habitat was lost with a burgeoning shore population that eliminated many trees and increased ground predator populations. In New Jersey the osprey was listed as endangered in 1974 by the NJ Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife. Early recovery efforts began when DDT was banned in New Jersey in 1968. The highest levels of DDT were found on Barnegat Bay. In the early 1970's state biologists began an innovative recovery effort to place young and eggs from nests where DDT was not used as heavily into nests that failed to produce young, year after year. In addition, they coordinated efforts to supply man-made nest platforms for the birds. These new artificial nest platforms replaced the snags and trees that were lost as the barrier islands became more developed in the 1950s.

Ospreys: A Success Story (NJN video)

The osprey was listed as endangered in 1974 after DDT and habitat loss decimated the population. The population dropped from 450-500 nesting pairs to only 53. Since the 70s the population has rebounded to historic levels. Here is a video of the New Jersey Osprey Recovery Project.

By 1986 the osprey population had surpassed 100 pairs, sparking the decision to upgrade their status to threatened in the state. Since that time, the Endangered and Nongame Species Program staff has worked to monitor and manage the population, tracking their nest success every year with a core group of volunteers, and censusing the population every three years. In 2006 the NJ osprey population hit a new post-DDT record of just over 400 active nests, not far below the estimated historic population of 450 to 500 nests. In 2009, 486 nesting pairs were found and in 2011 biologists decided the postpone the next aerial survey until 2013.

Zoom+ Show your love for the recovery of ospreys in New Jersey with an offical NJOP shirt! Northside Jim

Today, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ plays an active role in helping to manage and protect the statewide population of ospreys. It was our goal to help the population recover to the historic level of over 500 nesting pairs, which was surpassed in 2013. The New Jersey Osprey Project seeks to raise private funding through donations, fundraising campaigns, platform sponsorships, and educational presentations to help ospreys thrive in New Jersey. We also sponsor Eagle Scouts candidates with projects that seek to install and maintain osprey platforms along coastal areas of New Jersey.

Since 2004, we have installed over 200 nesting platforms throughout New Jersey, most in areas where suitable habitat exists with few nesting structures and others to replace old and unsafe structures. Around 75% of the known population nest on artificial nest platforms and they are crucial to the long term stability of the population. We have concentrated much of our work on Barnegat Bay, Little Egg Harbor, and Great Bay. We work very closely with the Endangered and Nongame Species Program and assist with osprey surveys and nestling banding during the nesting season from April 1 - August 31.

To follow our work with ospreys, follow NJ Osprey Project on Facebook.

HOW WE CAN HELP

We offer technical assistance to private consulting firms, individuals, school groups, environmental commissions, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and anyone else who is interested in constructing and installing osprey nesting structures. We've consulted with individuals and contractors throughout the United States and abroad to help identify suitable habitat for the installation and/or repair of osprey nesting structures.

In New Jersey, we work with the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife to help manage and monitor a very large database of existing nesting structures. We can help you choose the most suitable location to place a platform so it will not negatively impact any other species that live in the coastal area of the state.

We can provide maps, platform plans (see Publications below), and in some cases an actual platform. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information or if you have a question.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Image of In 2013 we released the locations of all known osprey nest sites in New Jersey. The purpose was to engage residents and collect data to help monitor our ospreys. Click here to view.

Zoom+ In 2013 we released the locations of all known osprey nest sites in New Jersey. The purpose was to engage residents and collect data to help monitor our ospreys. Click here to view.

Donate!

We do not receive any dedicated funding from the state or federal government! When we began working with ospreys in the mid-2000s, we saw how the lack of government funding was holding back the full recovery of ospreys in New Jersey by the lack of suitable nest structures for them to build nests along the coast. We began reaching out to private corporations, businesses and individuals to help bring in private funding to purchase materials to construct and install more nest platforms. We still rely on this philanthropic support to monitor and manage ospreys.

Report activity at nest sites

Since the beginning of the project annual nesting surveys have been completed to help track the size of the population. Our methods for monitoring the population have changed over time. Today, instead of using helicopters to fly along our coast, which was very expensive in the later days (2000s), we use volunteers who can cover just as much area with very little funding. In 2013 we partnered with the Center for Conservation Biology who founded Osprey Watch, a global osprey watching website. We released the location of over 800 nest sites in New Jersey. The goal for us was to use volunteers to report activity at nest sites during the osprey nesting season from April 1 to August 31. It was a huge success and a total of 542 nesting pairs were recorded. The next statewide census is planned for 2017.

Image of We help maintain hundreds of osprey nesting platforms along the coast of NJ. Please make a donation today to help us keep them all in good condition!

Zoom+ We help maintain hundreds of osprey nesting platforms along the coast of NJ. Please make a donation today to help us keep them all in good condition!

You can view all known nests in New Jersey and report activity at a nest near your house on our partner's website, Osprey-watch.org

Volunteer

Volunteers have been a very important component to the successful recovery of ospreys in New Jersey since the beginning of this project in 1974. We engage volunteers in all aspects of this conservation project. From constructing nesting platforms to installing them, we could use your help! If you have a boat, a ladder, some basic tools, then we can put you to work! Opportunities vary throughout the year and events occur on weekdays and weekends to help engage more people in our Osprey Project. Email Ben for more information or use the form below to sign up to receive future osprey related news and volunteer ops.

ADOPT AN OSPREY PLATFORM

Each year more and more platforms become damaged or even disappear during the winter months. With this new program individuals can "adopt" an existing osprey nest platform. Your donation will make sure this platform stays in pristine condition. If it ever becomes damaged or needs repair, we'll be there to do the work.

Learn More

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Schedule an educational "New Jersey's Fish Hawk: The Amazing Osprey" presentation, which covers Osprey identification, life history, project history, human impacts, current management and their status. Program runs around 60 minutes. This is a great program for adults, high school students, civic organizations and scouting groups. Program honorarium: $250

Zoom+ Download a PDF of plans and placement advice.

Marine Debris: A threat to ospreys, our bioindicator species

Image of Ospreys use trash as nesting material because (sadly) it is a plentiful resource that collects in the upper areas of the saltmarsh. It is a deadly component of their nests that easily entangles them. Do your part and pick up litter if you see it.

Ospreys use trash as nesting material because (sadly) it is a plentiful resource that collects in the upper areas of the saltmarsh. It is a deadly component of their nests that easily entangles them. Do your part and pick up litter if you see it. © Ben Wurst

We've all seen the negative effects that we can have on our environment. One that we've been passionate about documenting and raising awareness about is the occurrence of plastic marine debris in osprey nests. Litter is almost everywhere and that includes active osprey nests. It winds up in the high marsh areas along our coast and that is where ospreys have always collected natural nesting material (sticks, eelgrass, muck, grasses and reeds). This new nesting material is not so safe for ospreys and their young. They can become easily entangled in ribbon from released balloons, monofilament from unwary fishermen, rope or twine, from lost crab pots or bait bags. For the past two years we've collected (and saved) trash we find in and around active nests. We're using this trash (aka marine debris) to use as a tool to help educate the public about this emerging threat to the ospreys and the health of our coastal ecosystem.

Please help us by sharing this blog post about the issue. To make the biggest impact, reduce the amount of trash you produce, reuse what you can’t recycle, recycle things that can be repurposed into new goods, and participate in local beach or stream cleanups! Thanks!!

Sept 2018 Update: Documenting the presence of plastics in osprey nests

Osprey Nest Platform Placement and Nest Removal Guidelines

Each year, residents reach out with questions about how and where to install osprey nest platforms. In the beginning they were needed to help boost the statewide recovery of ospreys since their natural nests were lost from development along the coast. Today (2021-), we are not actively installing osprey nest platforms at new locations to expand their range. Since they have reached the pre-DDT population estimate, we are now shifting our focus to maintain existing and established nests, which is challenging given the size of the state population, few staff and little funding. New nest platforms are only being installed when an established nest needs to be relocated. Our goal is to support a stable population while allowing ospreys to colonize more natural sites that will become more available over time.

Active and inactive nests cannot be removed without a state depredation permit in New Jersey. During the non-breeding season (from Sept 1 to March 31) you do not need a federal depredation permit but you still need the state depredation permit. A depredation permit is not required when some nesting material is removed under normal maintenance of the structure, but when nests (including platforms) are removed and/or excluders are placed (which essentially “removes the nest”) then a state depredation permit is required.

>> View/download the latest Osprey Nest Guidance

Learn More:

Osprey information including identification, life history, habitat, and current threats
Artificial nesting platform placement guidance and information. Includes detailed information on how to select the proper location for a platform.
NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program
New Jersey Osprey Project on Facebook

Image of The boat we ended up getting for the New Jersey Osprey Project was a 2018 MayCraft 22' Skiff. A boat with nothing fancy, plenty of deck space and the ability for back bay, skinny water pursuits.

The boat we ended up getting for the New Jersey Osprey Project was a 2018 MayCraft 22' Skiff. A boat with nothing fancy, plenty of deck space and the ability for back bay, skinny water pursuits.

Publications:

New Jersey Osprey Project Brochure - 4.0MB
Learn more about monitoring New Jersey's ospreys and ways that you can help!

Ospreys and Plastic Marine Debris - 3.3MB
Each year, while conducting nesting surveys, we collect persistant plastic marine debris from active nests. The debris can be life threatening to ospreys and other marine life. The problem is only getting worse... Download this fact sheet to learn more about ways you can help our ospreys.

Build an Osprey Nest Platform 2019 - 3.1MB
Plans to build an Osprey Nest Platform.

Adopt a Species - Osprey - 206.6KB
Detailed information about Ospreys in New Jersey.

2006 New Jersey Osprey Project - 138.4KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. In 2006, the population reached 400 pairs, a post-DDT milestone, and not far from the historic estimates of over 500 pairs. The combination of abundant prey and mild weather created favorable conditions for ospreys.

2007 New Jersey Osprey Project - 113.6KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. The population has grown by 61% from 1997-2006. Good weather allowed for successful nesting this year.

2008 New Jersey Osprey Project - 210.6KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. A very strong Nor'easter hit in the middle of May, when many ospreys were incubating, but it did not cause many failures. Ospreys had another great year in 2008.

2009 New Jersey Osprey Project - 157.1KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. Aerial surveys this year found 485 nesting pairs in 2009! It was another record year for ospreys. 547 young were produced from 345 nesting pairs.

2010 New Jersey Osprey Project - 178.0KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. The osprey population had a banner year in 2010. Just over 600 young were produced and average productivity was 2 young/nest.

2011 New Jersey Osprey Project - 74.4KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. The osprey population had a banner year in 2011. 612 young were produced and average productivity was just over 2 young/nest.

2012 New Jersey Osprey Project Newsletter - 76.5KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. Results from the 2012 Osprey nesting survey in New Jersey. Ospreys had another great year where productivity averaged 1.81 young/active nest. 599 young were produced from 331 nesting pairs. 431 young were banded for future tracking.

2013 New Jersey Osprey Project Newsletter - 106.2KB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the 2013 Osprey Census. Ospreys had a banner year, where productivity averaged 1.92 young/active nest. 777 young were produced from 405 nesting pairs. 488 young were banded for future tracking.

2014 New Jersey Osprey Project Newsletter - 208.7KB
Report detailing the findings from the annual nesting survey for ospreys in New Jersey. Ospreys had another great year! A total of 420 active nests were recorded. 339 of those nests fledged and average of 2.02 young per active nest. A total of 526 young were banded for future tracking. Dedicated to the memory of two outstanding wildlife stewards that we lost this year, Pete McLain and Dr. Stephen Wurst.

2015 New Jersey Osprey Report - 2.1MB
Annual newsletter that reports findings and results from the year's osprey survey. Though only about 50 osprey pairs remained in New Jersey in the early 1970s, the report documents close to 600 pairs using a total of 534 active nests in 2015, more than any other year in the project’s history.

2016 New Jersey Osprey Project - 910.8KB
Summary of results from the 2016 osprey survey in New Jersey. In short, a total of 515 active nests were found. 376 of those produced 670 young for a productivity rate of 1.78 young/active nest. Great results!

2017 New Jersey Osprey Project Report - 627.2KB
Detailed report summarizing the results of the 2017 Osprey Census in New Jersey which documented a total of 668 active nests and 892 young that were produced. Overall ospreys had a very good year and their population continues to grow.

2018 New Jersey Osprey Project Report - 11.6MB
2018 was another banner year for breeding ospreys in New Jersey. In this report we summarize results from the 2018 Osprey nest survey in New Jersey where 589 active nests were surveyed. Of those, 512 pairs produced a total of 932 young (the most ever in NJ) for a productivity rate of 1.82 average young/active (known-outcome) nest. Twenty nine new nests were found.

2019 New Jersey Osprey Project Report - 4.1MB
Summary of results from the 2019 New Jersey Osprey Project survey where a total of 669 occupied nests were found. Of those a total of 488 active nests produced 932 young. Productivity, which is considered as a measure of the of the population, was slightly higher than that of 2016-18 at 1.91 young/active (known-outcome) nest. The Atlantic coast continues to be home to the majority of ospreys in New Jersey. This PDF document is formatted for online reading.

>> 2020 New Jersey Osprey Project Report summarizes results from surveys conducted throughout the state which documented over 500 active nests.

>> 2021 New Jersey Osprey Project Report includes a detailed findings and summary of results from the following year which include over 700 occupied nests.

>> 2022 New Jersey Osprey Project Report details results of the statewide osprey survey and census which recorded a total of 733 nests.

Image of Photo essay in the The Sandpaper, Sept. 2014 covering Project RedBand.

Zoom+ Photo essay in the The Sandpaper, Sept. 2014 covering Project RedBand. The Sandpaper

In the News:

The Sandpaper article - July 8, 2008 - 2.0MB
Read an article by Angela Anderson about our efforts to help the osprey population recover to historic levels.

The Sandpaper article - September 17, 2008 - 915.1KB
Read an article by Angela Anderson and see photos of osprey platforms that were installed in Loveladies in Fall 2008.

The Sandpaper article - November 10, 2010 - 642.4KB
An article by Angela Anderson about the record year for ospreys in 2010.

Historic Documents:

Osprey Egg Transplant Program a Success - NJ Outdoors 1974 - 987.8KB
Here is an article from the September/October edition of New Jersey Outdoors magazine in 1974 written by Pete McLain and Teddy Schubert. The article highlights the early conservation work done to help restore the endangered population of ospreys in NJ.