Nesting near the tree top homes of Charlo, Montana’s Great Horned Owl family, an osprey couple is building a new nest and a new family!

The pair landed in Charlo on April 12th, 2016 and quickly got to nest prep, bringing in sticks and picking up dirt from the freshly turned field next door. After a short courtship, they’ve begun to mate.

Their bonding will lead to upwards of 160 mating attempts through these next few weeks that will eventually produce a clutch of two to four eggs. The eggs will hatch after an incubation period of 35-42 days and both parents will feed themselves and their chicks a fish-only diet. During incubation and chick rearing, the eggs and chicks are under nearly-constant parental watch to keep them safe from predators. About fifty days after hatching, the young begin exercising their wings to take their first practice flights from the nest. In early September, the young will begin their solo journeys to winter in South America.

This Osprey Cam is brought to you by our partnership with Owl Research Institute.

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