TIOF Speaker Shares Bird’s Eye View of Osprey Behavior and Important Data on Their Food Supply

The International Osprey Foundation (TIOF) invites you to attend this exciting presentation which will anchor its annual meeting on Monday, March 7 at 6:30 pm at The Community House.


Presenting will be, recent TIOF Research Grant recipient, Michael Academia. Michael’s research brings him into close contact with nesting Ospreys, so he has a bird’s eye view into their nest life including the distinct roles for female and male ospreys, feeding behavior, chick growth and sibling hierarchy. A graduate student at The Center for Conservation Biology at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia, Academia has combined his passion for these magnificent raptors and his background in fisheries science to study the relationship between food supply and osprey nesting success.  While his research focuses on ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay as biomonitors of fisheries and aquatic health, there is applicability to the Southwest Florida osprey population, which is also vulnerable to various environmental challenges and who serve as sentinel species for the health of our local waters.



The Chesapeake Bay, which supports the largest osprey breeding population in the world, is the area of focus for Academia’s research.  The osprey in this region are dependent on the nutrient-dense Atlantic menhaden fish. Commercial fishing in the Bay has reduced the menhaden fish population, impacting osprey provisioning rates and reproductive success. Michael’s research provides insight into how osprey behavior is altered by low fish availability and whether providing menhaden directly to the osprey in their nests can reverse food stress. He studies how the addition of fish into osprey nests impacts the ability of chicks to grow and take their first flight, which is the ultimate success story for ospreys.


TIOF is fortunate to be able to share Michael Academia’s research with the osprey lovers of “the islands” and surrounding communities.  Save the date and bring a friend!  There is no charge to attend. Information on how to become a TIOF member and/or volunteer  will be available at the meeting.

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April 25, 2025
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February 12, 2025
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!
January 24, 2025
View the 2024 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.
April 3, 2024
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!
October 18, 2023
View the 2023 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.
March 10, 2023
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.
February 10, 2023
For more information view / download the contest PDF and click on the links for details and to enter.
November 8, 2022
View the 2022 International Osprey Foundation newsletter by clicking the download button below.
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