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Ospreys and Baling Twine
Protecting chicks from hazardous twine.
© TCDavis
Each year, two Ospreys known as Charlie and Charlotte nest near the Owl Research Institute in Montana. A webcam of their nest gives people an intimate glimpse into their lives. In 2021, Charlie brought some baling twine into their nest. Baling twine is a plastic string used to bind hay and straw. When brought into a nest, chicks can get fatally tangled — including as many as 10% of Osprey chicks. Fortunately, there are organizations working to protect Osprey chicks from baling twine.
Today's show brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation.
BirdNote®
Ospreys and Baling Twine
Written by Lena Beck
This is BirdNote.
[Ospreys calling, ML 106651, 4:37-4:41]
Each year, two adult Ospreys known as Charlie and Charlotte build their nest near the Owl Research Institute in western Montana. A webcam of their nest gives people an intimate glimpse into their lives. The livestream has shown the two Ospreys successfully raising numerous chicks over the years.
[Ospreys calling, ML 106651]
In 2021, Charlie brought some baling twine into their nest, probably mistaking it for good nest-building material like grass or twigs.
Baling twine is a plastic string used to bind hay and straw. When it’s left behind as litter, birds sometimes bring it into the nest, where it becomes a serious hazard. Chicks can get tangled, often fatally. The Montana Osprey Project estimates that baling twine kills up to 10% of Osprey chicks across the state.
When webcam viewers noticed that one of Charlie and Charlotte’s chicks was caught in baling twine, the institute attempted a rescue. But, like many Osprey chicks across the west, the tangled chick was too badly injured to survive.
Fortunately, there are organizations working to protect Osprey chicks from baling twine. From volunteering for trash clean-ups to starting a baling twine recycling program, there’s a lot we can do to help Ospreys. To learn more, start at our website, BirdNote dot org. I’m Ariana Remmel.
Today’s show brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation.
[Ospreys calling, ML 106651]
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Osprey ML 106651 recorded by R. Little.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2022 BirdNote May 2022 Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# OSPR-09-2022-05-26 OSPR-09
References:
https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/
https://hs.umt.edu/osprey/heavyMetalStudies.php
https://explore.org/livecams
https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/single-post/danger-in-the-nest-osp…
Lena Beck
Writer
Ariana Remmel
NarratorSights & Sounds
