skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump's pick to lead DEA withdraws from consideration; Report: NYS hospitals' operating margins impact patient care; Summit County, CO aims to remain economically viable in warming climate; SD Gov. sets aside 2026 budget funds for new education savings accounts.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

GOP Senators voice reservations about Kash Patel, Trump's FBI pick. President Biden continues to face scrutiny over pardoning his son. And GOP House members gear up for tough budget fights, possibly targeting important programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Residents in Colorado's rural communities face challenges to recycling, climate change and Oregon's megadrought are worrying firefighters, and a farm advocacy group says corporate greed is behind high food prices in Montana.

Increasing Osprey Population Inspiring Iowans to Work for Clean Water

play audio
Play

Thursday, July 28, 2016   

BOONE, Iowa – The osprey, a fish-eating bird of prey, was once common in Iowa, but populations dwindled with the arrival of European settlers.

Close to a half-dozen 40-day-old osprey chicks will be introduced at sites in Clear Lake and Swan Lake this week.

They were collected from nests in northern Minnesota where the population is much more established.

Pat Schlarbaum, a wildlife diversity technician for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says because the birds live near water, Iowans will want to continue with cleanup efforts.

"These birds inspire people,” he states. “They're water-loving creatures. We're hoping that they can guide us to do more, guide us to do better, as people realize that having the ospreys are a welcome addition to our summer activities around the lakes and ponds and rivers."

DNR experts will continue looking after the young birds in their new homes until they're able to fly on their own in a couple of weeks.

Schlarbaum says hearing and seeing these raptors dive-bomb for a meal is something worth seeking out.

"The whole phenomena of watching this bird just see a fish near the surface and just go down and take it, is nothing short of remarkable,” he points out. “It's almost hard to do the math, that a four-pound bird could carry off a two-pound fish."

There have been 24 attempts at establishing osprey nests throughout the state, with a few dozen birds now spending the summer months in Iowa before migrating to South America for the winter and later returning.

As far as how many of the birds could one day live in the state, Schlarbaum says the sky's the limit.

"As long as our waters improve, as long as there's fish,” he states. “We were uncertain about how many bald eagles we'd have in Iowa, and now we're at more than 400 nesting pairs of eagles, and that population's still growing."

There's even an online Osprey Cam with live video of a nest located on the Wells Fargo campus in West Des Moines.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Research on the effects of a school voucher program in Louisiana show academic performance decreased among kids who use vouchers to attend private schools. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

In this week's 2026 budget address, Gov. Kristi Noem proposed establishing education savings accounts for K-12 students in South Dakota. Opponents …


Environment

play sound

The most current study from the Environmental Protection Agency estimated more than 143 million Americans are at risk of drinking water tainted with P…

Social Issues

play sound

Maryland has one of the highest percentages in the nation of people in prison who began serving time when they were juveniles. A new report from …


The unpaid care provided by more than 580,000 Wisconsin caregivers is valued at $9.2 billion, according to AARP. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

More than 580,000 Wisconsinites are unpaid family caregivers and they serve as the backbone of the state's long-term care system, and one …

Environment

play sound

A county high in the Colorado Rockies is working to include its underserved residents in plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver …

State officials say in 2023, Minnesota's workplace injury and illness rate fell to an all-time low. (Freepik)

Social Issues

play sound

There is promising news at the national level and in Minnesota in trying to lower workplace injuries and illnesses. A key labor organization is happy …

Social Issues

play sound

By Dakarai Turner for WISH-TV.Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the WISH-TV-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service…

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new report found New York hospitals are in a precarious financial state. The New York State Hospitals Fiscal Survey Report showed statewide …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021