Ospreys in Britain

The osprey formerly inhabited much of Britain, but heavy persecution, mainly by Victorian egg and skin collectors, during the 19th and early 20th centuries brought about its demise.

[2][3] In 1954 Scandinavian birds recolonised Scotland naturally, and a pair has nested successfully almost every year since 1959 at Loch Garten Osprey Centre, Abernethy Forest Reserve, in the Scottish Highlands.

[4] The early recolonisation was very slow because of contamination of the food chain by organochlorine pesticides and the activities of egg collectors.

Some chicks from Scottish nests have been moved to England and Spain (Urdaibai Bird Center) to establish new breeding populations.

Over six years, chicks from Scottish nests were moved to the Nature Reserve at Rutland Water in the Midlands area, where they were released.

Funding was provided by Anglian Water and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust managed the project supported by a large team of volunteers.

In 1999 some of the translocated birds returned after their migration from Africa and in 2001 the first pair bred, including the eponymous Mr Rutland.

In 2022 further locations where ospreys had bred successfully for the first time were made public in North Yorkshire[16] and Leicestershire.

One was near Welshpool in Montgomeryshire and the other at the RSPB Glaslyn Osprey Project at Pont Croesor, near Porthmadog in north Wales.

Loch Garten, Dyfi and the Highland Foundation for Wildlife have fitted satellite trackers to some chicks to improve understanding of migratory behaviour.

[26][27] Many ospreys can be identified due to bird ringing carried out under the scheme administered by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).