Stan Chamberlain
Osprey Monitoring Program
Welcome to the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's Osprey Nest Monitoring Program!
Our goal is to collect data on all of the Osprey nests in the state each summer to understand the changes in the abundance and distribution of nests and the number of young Ospreys that hatch each year.
Our program was started by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) in 1977 when there were only 13 Osprey nests in Rhode Island due to the harmful impacts of DDT on these magnificent birds.
In 2010, the program was passed to Audubon because of our amazing team of volunteers! Today, our program collects data on over 360 nests across the state with a team of over 100 volunteers.
That said, we can always use the help of more monitors! If you are interested in being part of our program, please reach out to Osprey@asri.org.
Below are some links to additional resources that you can visit to learn more about Osprey and the Osprey Monitoring Program!
Osprey Monitoring Resources
RI Osprey Nest Sites Map
View the locations of over 360 Osprey nests monitored by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island volunteers!
For resources, information, and PDFs that you may need as a monitor, please click the button below:
For answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ), please click the button below to learn more about Osprey monitoring and the lives of Ospreys!
2026 Osprey Monitoring Program Data
Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s long-running Osprey Monitoring Program has documented a decline in nesting success during the 2026 breeding season. Only 38% of the 339 monitored nests successfully fledged young, making 2026 one of the poorest breeding seasons in the past decade.
As data came in from nest monitors in July, an odd pattern developed. We observed a growing number of nest failures across the state.
Sydney Brown, a student with the Environmental Management Fellowship at URI and the Audubon Osprey Monitor Coordinator for 2026 explained, "Until young Osprey hatched, the season seemed normal. Nests were occupied, breeding pairs were active, brood sizes appeared healthy. Then, the nests started failing.”
This was not immediately concerning. Nest failures do occur and are a normal circumstance in breeding birds. But as the weeks went on, the reports of nest failures increased across the state, and adults were not fledgling any young.
“Nests that had three young, lost one, then two, and in some cases, no nestlings survived at all,” explained Brown. “A common message I heard from our volunteers was that this was the first time in years that the nest they monitored was unable to produce any young or was unoccupied.
As a result, only 38% of the 339 nests monitored this season were successful—one of the lowest percentages in the past decade. As a comparison, in 2025, roughly 70% of nests were successful. However, in 2025 the data showed an overall drop in total nests from the previous year. This trend is a concern that we will be watching closely.
Discussions with partners at RI DEM, Connecticut Audubon and Mass Audubon revealed similar declines being reported. “We realized that this pattern was more widespread than originally thought,” said Audubon Director of Bird Conservation Sarah Deckel. “Ospreys throughout southern New England, New Jersey, and even as far south as the Chesapeake Bay are following a similar trend. If nest success continues to follow this downward trend, the Osprey population may be at risk—again.”
Why is this happening? We're considering three possible scenarios:
- More Ospreys Lead to More Competition. Osprey have rebounded dramatically in recent decades. With steep population increases, there comes a point where there isn’t enough food or space for all birds to succeed. They start to outcompete each other, reducing breeding success.
- Decrease in Food Supply. Ospreys preferred prey are Atlantic menhaden during the breeding season. Fisherman and biologists in several areas of New England have reported lower populations of menhaden, however additional studies are needed to determine if food shortages contributed to nest failures in Rhode Island.
- Both Factors Together. There may be multiple, interactive factors, including increased competition and reduced food availability for adult Osprey as well as their young.
Studying the causes of these nest failures is critical to understanding emerging threats to Osprey. These raptors have begun to migrate south but will return next year. Audubon plans to expand its research efforts in 2027 and collect more robust data to better understand prey availability and changes occurring across the region.
Resources For Learning More About Osprey
RI Osprey Chicks Died in Huge Numbers This Year. This Fish May Be Why.
The Providence Journal article, October 2026
Data: RI Osprey Population Sees 38% Drop in Breeding Success
WPRI article, September 2026
Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Are Starving to Death at Disastrous Rates. What Will It Take to Save Them?
National Audubon article, Summer 2026
Trends of the Rhode Island Osprey Population
Presentation by Lincoln Dark at the 2024 Avian Research Symposium
A Season on the River: Osprey Monitoring
Presentation by Audubon Osprey Monitor Butch Lombardi at Audubon Nature Center & Aquarium, April 2022
Osprey Bird Guide
An online guide by National Audubon Society
Osprey Nest Pole Installation Guide
Instructions compiled by Butch Lombardi and provided by Shawen Williams and Andrew MacKeith.
Osprey Videos/Livestream Cams
Allin's Cove Osprey Youtube Channel
All of these videos are recorded and produced by Audubon Osprey Monitor David Winsor; Allin’s Cove in Barrington, RI.
Creek Nest Cam - by Conanicut Island Raptor Project
Livestream of Audubon Marsh Meadows Wildlife Refuge Osprey Nest in Jamestown, RI.
Narrow (Pettaquamscutt) River Nest Cam - by Narrow River Preservation Association
Livestream of Garrison Acres Osprey Nest in South Kingstown, RI.
Block Island Power Nest Cam - by Block Island Utility District
Livestream of Osprey nest on Block Island Utility District property.
Photos From Our Volunteers
See How the Osprey Nest Density in Rhode Island Has Changed!
In a visual representation below (see image below) & through previous reports on the findings from each year of the Osprey Monitoring Program since 2010 (after image below)
