C-17 



Little Assawoman Bay - 5 pairs 

 Rehoboth Bay (1 colony) 



13 pairs 

 (nesting on duck blinds) 

 Cape Henlopen up to 

 Reedy Island 6 to 8 pairs 



Bombay Hook Natl. 

 Wildlife Refuge 1 pair 

 Nanticoke Refuge 1 pair 

 Blackbird Creek 1 pair 



Status : 



Not officially classified as rare or endangered; however, is 

 declining in specific regions and may be seriously threatened. 



Reasons for Decline : * 



1. It has been estimated that the annual production of ospreys 

 must be between 0.95 to 1.30 young fledged/breeding female to maintain 

 a stable population (Henry and Wight, 1969). (However, this may be 

 underestimated by 5 to 10% if nests with no eggs are excluded from 

 original figures (Henny and VanVelzen) and only the productive nests 

 used, rather than active nests.) Byrd (1973) estimates an annual 

 production of 1.22 young/productive nest is needed in Virginia. Reese 

 (1965) calculated a minimum annual rate of decline of 2 to 3% in 

 Maryland. In many areas of the Chesapeake Bay, annual production is now 

 below these averages, as per following reports: 



Maryland shore, Charles County, of Potomac River - 0.70 



young fledged/active nest (Wiemeyer, 1971) 

 Virginia shore, as above, Westmoreland Co. - 0.70 (Wiemeyer, 1972) 

 Talbot County, Eastern shore, Maryland .96 to 1.16 (1965 - 



1966) (Reese, 1970); 

 Talbot County, Eastern Shore, Maryland - 1.03 (1964-65) (Reese, 



1965). 

 Virginia shore from Norfolk to Potomac River - 0.69 (1971) 



0.60 (1972) (Byrd, 1973). 

 Martin National Wildlife Refuge, Md. - 1.4 young/active nest, 



1.8 young/productive nest (Rhodes, 1972). 

 Choptank River, Eastern Shore, Md. - 0.93 to 0.96 (Reese, 1972). 



2. The use of pesticides and other environmental contaminants is 

 causing contamination in ospreys from accumulation of chlorinated hydro- 

 carbons through the food chains, which in turn are responsible for egg 

 failure in active nests. Reproductive decline in ospreys has been 

 reported from many sections of the United States (Ames, 1966), Hickey, 



