Adopt an osprey nest this summer
An early sign of spring, ospreys are making their return to Michigan. The magnificent fish-hawk with striking brown and white plumage can be seen flying along shallow, fish-filled waters of the Great Lakes region hovering, then plunging feet-first to snare fish in its talons. Ospreys can be found across the state, but they once faced an uncertain future here.
Osprey were severely affected by use of the pesticide DDT and were listed as a threatened species in Michigan after their population declined precipitously in the 1960s. Fortunately, the sale and use of DDT was banned in 1972, giving ospreys a fighting chance. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of MI Birds partners, the DNR, the Detroit Zoological Society and friends at Huron-Clinton Metroparks, the osprey was successfully reintroduced to southern Michigan and removed from the threatened species list in 2009.