Male and female ospreys look alike, except some females may have a necklace of dark streaking. Listen this summer for the sharp whistles and chirps of the osprey. Don t get too close to their nests or their call will become more frenzied. Wisconsin Vacationers Ospreys return to Wisconsin in mid-April from warmer southerly states. When they are 3-4 years old they will mate and nest.
Ospreys are territorial birds, so they don t like other ospreys near their nests.
They select nesting sites near the water and build on top of trees or power poles. Often they will nest at the same spot year after year, making repairs from weather and environmental damage. The nests are easy to spot. They are more than 3 feet wide and are made up of big sticks lined with grasses and weeds. A female lays 3 buff-colored eggs, speckled with brown.