Birders Act to Protect Illinois Osprey

Birders, ornithologists, and community activists have persuaded the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) to consider purchasing the 54-acre St. Coletta property in Palos Park. This former school property is adjacent to Bergman Slough, which is not only one of the few remaining high-quality prairie sloughs in Illinois but is also home to the state's first pair of nesting osprey in more than 100 years.

The osprey is an Illinois-endangered species that has made a slow recovery from the ravages of DDT use in the 1960s. Many see the osprey's return to Illinois as a symbol of recovering ecosystems in Chicago Wilderness.

 "Purchasing the property will protect the osprey that nest near St. Coletta as well as the high-quality forest preserves that surround it on three sides," explained Emil and Gail Biedron, spokespersons for The Friends of Bergman Slough. The Biedrons and many other activists have been contacting local, county, state, and federal officials, conservation groups, and scientists in an effort to protect the St. Coletta property. FPDCC staff have recommended that the district continue to seek funding sources to purchase the site. The district has requested financial assistance from Congresswoman Judy Biggert, of Illinois' 13th District, who expressed interest in this project.

The osprey — or Pandion haliaetus, meaning "sea eagle" — earned its name by feeding almost exclusively on fish. Also known as a fish eagle or sea hawk, it differs from all other daytime birds of prey and is in a family by itself, closely related to the hawk and falcon families. Ospreys can grow to 23 inches long with a wingspan of more than five feet.

— Jennifer Tang