A report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources show the number of young ospreys in Iowa hit a record high last year with nearly 60 fledglings, while young peregrine falcons held steady.
IDNR Wildlife Research Specialist Riggs Wilson says the migratory raptors were re-introduced to the state starting in the 1990s.
Osprey nests are largely concentrated in the Des Moines metro, Spirit Lake area and corridor between Waterloo and Iowa City.
According to IDNR, Osprey populations in North America crashed because of the organochlorine chemical DDT in the 1950s. They were exposed to DDT through their prey and the chemical build up in their bodies resulted in eggshell thinning which led to fewer and fewer young to replenish the population.
Osprey populations have shown a gradual increase since DDT and similar substances were banned in the United States in 1972.
