Osprey - Pandion haliaetus

From early March through late summer, the skies above the Chesapeake Bay are filled with the sharp calls and dramatic osprey dives. These birds are deeply woven into the natural and cultural fabric of the Bay region. They return each year from their wintering grounds in South America to nest on the same channel markers, duck blinds, dock pilings, and purpose-built platforms across the bay.

Osprey feed almost exclusively on menhaden, perch, and other small fish, making them excellent indicators of the Bay’s water quality and fish populations. Their presence reflects the health of our estuarine ecosystems, and tracking their nesting success helps scientists, watermen, and conservationists understand broader environmental changes across the watershed.