Let osprey! RSPB use decoy nests and 2ft polystyrene birds to attract more of rare species

By Daily Mail Reporter

Decoy: Mark Singleton of the RSPB puts the finishing touches to the fake Osprey nest, complete with plastic birds, in the Arne nature reserve in Dorset

A nature reserve in Dorset is the first to employ the unusual method of using fake osprey nets, complete with life-size polystyrene birds, to boost the numbers of the rare birds of prey in Britain.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) came up with the novel idea of putting 'show homes' at the top of a number of high trees in a bid to attract more ospreys, which migrate to Africa for the winter and return for the British summer.

Ospreys, which have a wingspan of 7ft, have been known to stop off for a rest on the south coast of England and it is hoped they will see the decoy site as they fly past and set up home there.

Officials even splashed the 6ft wide nests with flecks of white paint to mimic bird droppings to make them appear as real as possible.

Mark Singleton, the RSPB visitor manager at Arne, who had the heady task of installing the five nests on the top of the 40ft high trees, along with the 2ft tall model birds, said: 'This is a really exciting experiment and one that has worked at other locations in Europe.

'We are hopeful that before long we might just have some breeding ospreys of our own.'


Experiment: It is hoped the decoy nests and fake birds will encourage ospreys to settle in England


Roy Dennis, a leading osprey expert, has helped get the project off the ground.

He said: 'The birds and the nests will act as an attraction for ospreys.

'A bird flying at 500 or 1,000ft will see the model birds and they may come down for a look rather than fly straight past.'

The Arne nature reserve was chosen as the first test location for the nests because of its close proximity to Poole harbour, which is packed full of fish - the ospreys' favourite food.

If the experiment works and ospreys are encouraged to breed, then it is likely the project will be expanded to other areas of the country.

Ospreys became extinct in the UK in the early 20th century but were re-introduced in Scotland in the 1950s.



source: dailymail