Banding Together to Restore the Minnesota Raptor Population
WH works with Three Rivers Park district to restore the depleted osprey population.
In 1984, Three Rivers Park district began introducing osprey birds to the Twin Cities. In 1998, Wright-Hennepin (WH) joined the Twin Cities osprey project to help track the progress of the birds' reintroduction.
Each summer, WH line workers help band baby osprey chicks. Using bucket trucks and safety gear, linemen assist Three Rivers employees with temporarily removing osprey chicks from their nests for banding purposes. These metal bands contains information that scientists use to track the success of the reintroduction program and the heath of our environment. Watch a video about osprey banding.
Ospreys like to build their nests in high places in view of a body of water, and sometimes this causes them to nest on top of electric transmission poles. For the safety of the birds, WH donates platforms for the birds so they can build their homes in safe locations.
Every summer, a live video of Oscar and Olive Osprey can be seen on this page. If you watch closely, you may be able to see eggs early in the season and watch the babies grow all summer long!
