Owl Research Institute - Ospreys!

Our 'Legends' campaign features a mated pair of Ospreys making their home in Charlo, Montana each year from early April until mid September. Our Legendary Ospreys, Charlotte and Charlie, return to their breeding grounds each spring to the delight of their many awaiting fans. Through the lens of the 24/7 live web-cam provided by explore.org, in partnership with the Owl Research Institute, we are granted a nest-side view into the authentic day to day life on an Osprey nest. We see their struggles and their triumphs...and the dauntless nature of this pair is truly remarkable.

Charlie is well renowned for his skills as a master fisher bird, routinely bringing in large fish including several varieties of catfish, sunfish, and trout. Charlotte is much acclaimed for her voice, which often seems to carry throughout the wide open spaces of western Montana! Charlotte is an attentive mother bird in the nest, but has also demonstrated that she is quite capable of defending her brood and bringing home the fish as well. Together, this amazing pair have captivated and educated their fans, many of whom have been following their story since the live stream began in the spring of 2016.



The OSPREY is also known as 'The Fish Hawk'. This highly specialized raptor is perfectly adapted to maintain a diet of 99% live fish. Ospreys mate for life. They have a strong nest site fidelity and will defend it fiercely. They re-use the nest each breeding season, laying 1-4 eggs (most commonly 3). Males and females share in the incubation of the eggs, and the feeding of the young. While the male is typically responsible for foraging during the spring courtship period through hatching, the female will forage to supplement if necessary, under difficult conditions, and will increase her amount of time fishing as the nestlings grow.

Osprey populations in North America saw a sharp decline before pesticides containing DDT were banned in 1972. Conservation efforts for a cleaner environment, along with the increased availability of artificial nest sites (on made-made structures) and the osprey's remarkable tolerance of human activity nearby, have allowed these magnificent birds of prey to rebound and expand their range. Ospreys are one of the most widely studied raptors and because they are at the top of the food chain, are excellent barometers of the local ecosystems.

The Owl Research Institute is dedicated to wildlife conservation through research and education. While our focus is on owls, we are interested in helping to document the natural histories of all raptors. In addition to several owl cams, our partnership with explore.org has also produced a Red Tail Hawk nest and, of course, our much loved Osprey nest. Located just down the road from the ORI field station, the rural and mountainous backdrop attracts viewers from around the world: Charlotte and Charlie may be the biggest celebrities our tiny town of Charlo has produced!

When you purchase a C & C T-shirt, you help to support the ORI’s long-term research and monitoring of 13 species in Montana and Alaska. Our data is instrumental in revealing population trends, species strengths and vulnerabilities, and environmental impacts. Our work has been featured in National Geographic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds, and so many others. Smithsonian will join us in the Arctic this summer to cover our research on Snowy Owls and climate change. Additionally, we are very proud to announce that 2018 marks the 30th year anniversary for the Owl Research Institute!