Ospreys have recovered in Scotland after recolonisation in 1954, but nests remain vulnerable to illegal disturbance, egg theft by collectors, and more recently human disturbance at accessible nest sites. Protection requires intensive monitoring.
Osprey pairs disturbed at nests during incubation abandon eggs that quickly cool and die. Disturbance during chick-rearing causes adults to leave the nest, exposing chicks to cold and predation. Repeated disturbance events across a breeding season cause cumulative welfare harm to adults and often result in total breeding failure. The long lifespan of ospreys means that each failed breeding season is a significant welfare and conservation cost.