Help an osprey by collecting twine
Charlotte and Charlie returned to their nest near the Owl Research Institute recently. ORI urges farmers and ranchers to help protect the birds by disposing of leftover twine. (ORI webcam photo)
Baby osprey who became tangled in bailing twine eventually died. (Owl Research Institute photo)
The Owl Research Institute (ORI) encourages farmers and ranchers to collect and properly dispose of baling twine and other bits of trash before osprey begin nesting in the Mission Valley.
“Our resident osprey in Charlo arrived earlier last week, so the timing is perfect,” said Lauren Smith, head of Communications & Development at the Charlo-based organization.
According to Smith, the migratory birds sometimes collect twine and other bits of trash to line their nests. Adults and chicks can become entangled, which in turn can lead to serious and often fatal injuries.
“We have seen this first-hand with our local pair, she reports. In 2021, one of the two osprey chicks on the Charlo nest died after becoming entangled in baling twine. And in 2022, “to the horror of live cam viewers – including myself – the female osprey became tangled and spent several minutes dangling from the nest platform before she was able to free herself.”
She adds that it’s not uncommon to find osprey carcasses wrapped in twine. Since male birds will pluck up twine and return it to the nest all summer long, it’s a good practice to continue twine collection all summer long.
Those who collect twine are encouraged to drop it off at the ORI’s headquarters, 35490 Ninepipe Lane, east of Charlo, or at the CSKT Wildlife Management office, 406 6th Ave E. in Polson. Trash and litter should be properly disposed of as well.
To watch a live cam of the nesting platform, head to: explore.org/livecams/owl-research-institute/charlo-montana-osprey-nest (it also streams on YouTube). For more information on ORI, visit www.owlresearchinstitute.org.
