Photo by Greg Weiter, FOMR Volunteer

If you spend any time near water at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, keep an eye on the sky for a long-winged raptor hanging in place over a pond or canal, then plunging feet-first into the water. That’s an osprey (Pandion haliaetus), a fish-eating specialist and one of the Refuge’s most charismatic birds of prey.

Ospreys are almost completely dependent on fish, hunting over rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. They fly slowly and deliberately, pausing to hover when they spot a fish near the surface, then dive with talons extended to snatch their prey. Their feet are uniquely adapted for this lifestyle: long, curved talons, rough pads on the toes for gripping, and a reversible outer toe that helps them hold a slippery fish with two toes in front and two behind. In flight, they usually carry the fish head-first, streamlined for the trip back to a perch or nest.

Because they rely on fish, ospreys nest close to water on high, open structures such as dead-topped trees, snags, cliff edges, utility poles, and, increasingly, on dedicated nest platforms. Pairs add sticks and other materials to their nest each year, so a long-used site can grow into an impressive pile. Osprey pairs are typically monogamous and often reuse the same nest season after season, returning in spring after wintering to the south. The female lays two to four eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties until the young make their first flights later in summer.

Ospreys suffered steep declines in the mid-20th century due to pesticide contamination, especially DDT, which thinned eggshells and reduced nesting success. With the banning of DDT, cleaner waterways, and widespread installation of nest platforms, many osprey populations have rebounded. They remain powerful ambassadors for healthy aquatic ecosystems: when you see an osprey successfully fishing, you’re also seeing a water body that can still support a vibrant food web.

How Friends of Malheur Are Helping

In the summer of 2025, a strong windstorm blew two young chicks and much of the nest off their perch at the south end of the Refuge. In response, the Friends of Malheur facilitated a coalition of community partners to build and install a new osprey nest platform in the winter of 2025 and soon after added a live streaming nest camera! You can help osprey and this project by:

• Respecting refuge boundaries and closures.

• Viewing ospreys from a distance, especially around active nests.

• Reducing plastic and fishing-line waste, which can be incorporated into nests and entangle adults or chicks.

• Supporting Friends of Malheur through membership, volunteering, or donations that fund nest platforms, live streaming camera(s), and educational materials. DONATE HERE!

Next time you visit the Refuge, pause near open water and scan the sky for that distinctive M-shaped silhouette and dark “wrist” patches on the wings. With a bit of patience, you might witness an osprey’s dramatic dive and enjoy a signature Malheur Moment.