Examining the osprey: UM biologists ask public to adopt nests, record data regularly
By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian
The secrets to human health in western Montana could possibly be found by studying osprey, those handsome fish hunters commonly seen along our rivers and lakes - but about whom scientists know little.
To better understand these bold birds that like living among humans and nest atop power poles, a team of University of Montana biologists is turning to “citizen scientists” for help, UM professor Erick Greene said Sunday.
Specifically, the biologists need help keeping track of nests and the number of baby birds that live there.
Amanda Ormesher is helping organize: a citizen scientist effort that will gather valuable information on osprey and their young. “They are amazing to watch,” says the University of Montana wildlife biology student. Photo by LINDA THOMPSON/Missoulian
“Anybody who lives near an osprey nest, we have standardized data sheets to give out and we are hoping people will adopt a nest and keep track of it for us,” Greene said. “The data will be collected and go into an incredible database of information about osprey reproductive successes.”
It will, he said, be the first information on osprey in this state for a long time.
The raptors are important because they are at the top of the food chain, and therefore, in the bigger context, serve as excellent environmental indicators for the health of aquatic systems, Greene explained.
“While the adults migrate and can fly over far distances, their chicks eat only the fish that are caught a few miles from the nest,” he said. “What they eat is critical to their survival and because of that, we are interested in the reproductive success of these birds.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stiff regulations for the five big water pollutants: arsenic, cadmium, lead, zinc and copper, all of which can be found in the Clark Fork River from the decades of mining that took place upstream in Butte and Anaconda at the turn of the 20th century.
“But nobody is talking about mercury,” Greene said, which was also used in the mining process.
“It is really high in some of the osprey chicks we tested last year,” he said, “and what we find in osprey chicks will be a concern for humans.”
Mercury thresholds for humans are 5.8 parts per billion. Last year, the UM researchers tested several chicks that were way over the limit, including one hatchling that had more than 500 parts per billion - and one that had more than 1,200 parts per billion mercury.
The limited testing was enough to raise concerns and launch a long range, full-fledged study to better understand these birds, focusing on their offspring.
Greene, along with Heiko Langner, director of UM's Environmental Biogeochemistry Laboratory; Rob Domenech, executive director, Raptor View Research Institute; and UM students Amanda Ormesher and Anica Kratina, is setting out this spring to find some answers.
Among the questions: During breeding season, how many eggs are hatched? How many young birds live long enough to fledge out? What is the cause of death for those that don't fledge out? And what kind of toxins can be found in their blood?
Although the osprey is a common bird in this part of the world, there isn't a lot of data about the species - no systematic survey or monitoring program that has information on how these birds lived, said Ormesher, a UM biology major.
As the information is gathered, the ultimate objective is to pinpoint the mercury hot spots in western Montana.
It's a big, important project, Ormesher said, and it's one she's thrilled to be a part of. Her role will be to coordinate the citizen research data, and to collect her own data in and around Flathead Lake, Seeley Lake and the Seeley-Swan area.
“It's such fun research - staying out on a lake and counting osprey,” she said, smiling. “What could be bad?”
Once the scientists know where the nests and hatchlings are, blood samples can be drawn and birds can be banded.
Later this spring, scientists - and anyone with Internet access - will have an intimate perspective on how these birds live. A camera the UM team calls the “osprey cam” is expected to be operating in a few weeks to keep a close eye on a nest on a private ranch just off Mullan Road near the Clark Fork.
On Sunday, when the team inspected the nest and the camera that hangs over it, they were delighted to find a mating pair of osprey calling it home.
“It's going to be so cool when we get the camera powered up,” said Domenech. “We are going to learn so much about the day-to-day, maybe hour-to-hour, behavior of these birds.”
“The educational outreach will be exponential,” he said. “To take these nesting birds and bring them into the classroom is so exciting.”
Junior birdmen
Calling all citizen scientists: A team of University of Montana biologists needs a hand monitoring osprey nests in and around the Missoula area. Anyone interested can contact professor Erick Greene at 243-2179 or e-mail him at erick.greene@mso.umt.edu.
