Osprey conservation

 

Two centuries ago, the osprey was a relatively common bird in Scotland but due to persecution by egg collectors and taxidermists it all but died out.  The last recorded breeding pair of ospreys before the modern era was in 1916.

The return of breeding ospreys

In 1954, a pair of ospreys returned and bred successfully near Loch Garten, which is now part of the RSPB’s Abernethy Forest nature reserve in Strathspey.  In 1958, the RSPB’s Operation Osprey began at Loch Garten and volunteers carried out a round-the-clock watch on the nesting ospreys to prevent theft by egg collectors. 

A viewing point which was set up attracted 14,000 visitors in its first season and to date, more than 2 million visitors have been to see the ospreys at Abernethy. 

In 1970, ospreys first bred at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes nature reserve and have since fledged 56 chicks.

Beating the egg thieves

By the early 1980s, the osprey population had grown to 30 breeding pairs, but nests continued to be targeted by egg collectors, who succesfully robbed around 14 nests between 1982 and 1984. To counter this, RSPB Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Raptor Study Groups built many artificial osprey nests, which ospreys quickly began using in the 1980s and 1990s.

By 2005, there were close to 200 breeding pairs of ospreys in Scotland, thanks largely to the efforts of these groups and private individuals and landowners who remain committed to the conservation of this magnificent bird.