Chesapeake Bay osprey population declines as researchers probe food supply link

Decades of monitoring data from Virginia birders and researchers suggest osprey breeding success in the Chesapeake Bay may be declining due to changes in fish populations that serve as their primary food source.

First covered Nov 9, 2026 · 2:00 AM PT · 1 article

Chesapeake Bay osprey population declines as researchers probe food supply link — Image via insideclimatenews.org

Coverage

2d Inside Climate News Chesapeake Bay’s Osprey Population Is Falling. Is Its Food Supply a Factor? — For 20 years, Roberta Kellam, a retired lawyer and longtime birder, has watched ospreys return to their nests and raise chicks from her home on Nassawadox…

Primary sources

asmfc.org 2025Atlmenhadensinglespeciesassmtupdate October2025 (asmfc.org)

dep.nj.gov Atlantic Menhaden Conservation (dep.nj.gov)

deq.nc.gov Open (deq.nc.gov)

More coverage from around the web

nvbirdalliance.org Osprey Populations are Plummeting in the Chesapeake Bay — Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

chesapeakebaymagazine.com Osprey Starvation Reaches Bay

usgs.gov New Research Shows a Troubling Trend for Chesapeake Bay Osprey

wboc.com Sea hawk starvation: Chesapeake Bay ospreys see worst breeding year on record as researchers point to food shortages

southernmarylandchronicle.com Chesapeake Bay’s Osprey Population Is Falling. Is Its Food Supply a Factor? -

Appeared in: 2026-11-10 (#16)

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