World Osprey Week
WOW!
23-29 March 2015
Ospreys are amazing!
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With a wingspan of 1.5 metres they are one of our largest birds of prey.
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They are the only British bird of prey to eat only fish.
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Ospreys can live for more than 20 years.
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Most European migrate to Africa for the winter. Ospreys that breed in North America
migrate to South America for the winter.
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It takes an Osprey two to three weeks to fly 3000 miles when they migrate in Spring and
Autumn – that’s around 200 miles a day. They can travel at speeds of over 50 miles per
hour.
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They arrive back at their nests at the end of March to breed and raise young before
returning to Africa for the Winter.
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In the UK there are over 250 breeding pairs in Scotland, seven in England (five at Rutland
Water and others in Northumberland and Cumbria) and three in Wales.
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Ospreys are found throughout much of Europe and also North America.
Ospreys in the UK
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They were extinct in the UK by the late 1920s as a result of persecution by man – but started
returning in the 1950s. The first nest was at Loch Garten.
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In 1969, a pair first returned to the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife
Reserve, when they were only the fifth known pair in Scotland.
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64 Scottish Ospreys were released at Rutland Water between 1996 and 2001 in order to
establish a population in central England for the first time in over 150 years. This was the first
project of its kind in Europe – and has now been replicated in Spain and Italy.
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76 young Ospreys have fledged from nests in the Rutland Water area since 2001.
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Ospreys from Rutland Water have also recently helped Ospreys re-colonise Wales. They have
nested on the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s Cors Dyfi Reserve since 2011.
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In 2010, an Osprey named Lady of the Loch began her twentieth breeding season at the Loch
of the Lowes. There’s even been a song written about her! Fly Lady Fly can be downloaded
from iTunes.
What is World Osprey Week (WOW)?
• WOW is an exciting opportunity for schools to:
– Follow Ospreys on their spring migration
– Learn about these incredible birds
– Make links with other schools around the world
Which Ospreys will we be tracking?
• We’ll be following satellite-tagged Ospreys from:
– England
– Scotland
– Finland
– Corsica
– United States
Following the Ospreys on migration
• The WOW website includes an interactive Google map to
track the birds on migration
http://www.ospreys.org.uk/wow-interactive-schools-map/
Following the Ospreys on migration
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Daily blogs during WOW
to help teachers and
students interpret the
migrations.
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Introductions to all the
satellite-tagged birds.
School resources
• All schools have free access to a range of schools
resources, including lesson plans and ideas
www.ospreys.org.uk/free-school-resources/
• Registration is very simple
www.ospreys.org.uk/wp-login.php?action=register
• Once registered schools have full, free access to
the resources – for primary and secondary schools.
Free school resources
Setting-up your school page
• Once registered for the WOW website all schools can
set-up their own page by completing a simple online
form www.ospreys.org.uk/osprey-flyways-school-form/
• All schools will be included on the interactive map and
their page posted on the WOW website
www.ospreys.org.uk/osprey-flyways-project/ospreyflyways-project-schools/
www.ospreys.org.uk/osprey-flyways-project/osprey-flyways-project-schools/
Contacting other schools
• Each individual school page includes the contact
details of a teacher at that school, enabling schools
to make links with each other.
We hope you enjoy your
WOW experience!
www.ospreys.org.uk