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Pedro Lopez, a previous TIOF grant recipient, has provided an excellent video from the environmental organization BIOS CV depicting the cross-fostering of a juvenile osprey in Boa Vista in the Cape Verde Islands. Z24 was severely injured due to sibling aggression by its older and larger nestmates. Brood reduction, mediated by sibling aggression, is quite common in the Boa Vista osprey population. To aid in his survival, the near-fledging Z24, at 7 weeks old, was placed into another nest for a cross-fostering attempt. Typically, cross-fostering is done into nests with other nestlings but this was the first time that a near fledgling osprey had been transferred to a nest without nestlings. Watch the video of the successful cross-fostering of Z24!

View the 2024 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.

The calls started coming to TIOF fast and furious. The issue, a broken nesting pole by the Sanibel Lighthouse that was home to a very popular and productive pair of ospreys. “The birds are back!” While this was great news, the situation wasn’t. The pole was in no shape to support a huge osprey nest. But nobody told the birds that. They started building right away. Beachgoers and Sanibel residents let us know of their concerns. TIOF, along with Ned Bruha, THE WILDLIFE WHISPERER, (our main installer) and Sanibel Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief Chris Jackson started planning the installation. Firefighters Ron Petito and Arian Moore under the direction of Chief Mike Martin, got straight to work removing the nesting materials. Ned wrangled the new platform into place and added back the nesting materials while the birds kept an eye on things from the air. As the sun descended into the western sky, our ospreys re-established residency on the new platform. HOME-SWEET-HOME!

View the 2023 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.

Did you know there is an International Osprey Foundation headquartered on Sanibel Island in Florida? Today, we speak with Kathryn Brintnall, president of the foundation, about ongoing efforts to protect the Osprey. We also discuss the effects of Hurricane Ian on Osprey populations. Go to the International Osprey Foundation at www.ospreys.com; go to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) at https://sccf.org/; go to the J.N. Ding Darling National Refuge website at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling; go to the Clinic For The Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) website at https://crowclinic.org. Join Catherine Greenleaf, a certified wildlife rehabilitator with 20 years of experience rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, for twice-monthly discussions about restoring native habitat and helping the birds in your backyard. Access the BIRD HUGGER Newsletter here: www.birdhuggerpodcast.com. Send your questions about birds and native gardening to birdhuggerpodcast@gmail.com. (PG-13) St. Dymphna Press, LLC.

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