Wild Osprey Welfare and Reintroduction

Osprey have been successfully reintroduced to England after a long absence, with monitoring programmes tracking individual welfare and breeding success.

Key Facts

Ospreys were absent from England as a breeding species for most of the 20th century
Reintroduction programmes began in 2017 with birds from Germany and Scandinavia
They are now breeding successfully at several English sites
Individual birds are wing-tagged enabling lifetime monitoring
Lead poisoning from ingesting fish with fishing tackle remains a significant welfare threat

Welfare Considerations

Osprey reintroduction welfare demonstrates what is achievable with committed long-term monitoring and intervention. Tagged individuals provide welfare data throughout their lives enabling prompt response when individuals show signs of disease or injury. Lead poisoning from fishing tackle ingested by fish that ospreys eat is a preventable welfare harm. Anglers switching to non-lead fishing weights would directly protect the welfare of individual ospreys and other piscivorous raptors.

What You Can Do

Use non-lead fishing weights to protect ospreys and other fish-eating birds
Support osprey monitoring and conservation organisations
Visit osprey watching sites during the breeding season
Report dead or sick ospreys to the RSPB
Celebrate the successful osprey reintroduction as a conservation and welfare achievement