Where do ospreys nest?
Osprey · Pandion haliaetus
Ospreys nest on the flat tops of tall trees, usually conifers, near lochs, lakes, rivers and estuaries with plenty of fish, and readily use man-made platforms where good trees are scarce. The nest, called an eyrie, is a huge pile of sticks that grows every year. They arrive from Africa in March and April and leave by September.
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- Where
- Treetops and platforms near water full of fish
- Nest
- A huge stick eyrie, often well over a metre across
- When
- Arrive March to April, lay in April, leave by September
- Eggs
- Usually 2 or 3, about 37 days of sitting, mostly by the female
- Broods
- One
- Fledging
- About 7 to 8 weeks after hatching
- Protection
- Schedule 1: disturbing the nest needs a licence
Where ospreys nest
High up with a view, close to fish. Ospreys build on the flat top of a tall tree, usually a Scots pine or another conifer, near lochs, lakes, rivers or estuaries. They want to be able to see all round and fly straight in.
They take very readily to artificial platforms, and many British ospreys now nest on ones put up for them, especially in places where they have been helped to come back. Most nest in Scotland, with others in England and Wales.
What an osprey’s nest looks like
Huge. An osprey nest, or eyrie, is a massive cup of branches and sticks lined with softer stuff like moss, bark and grass. Both birds build it, and a new one can be up in two or three weeks, already well over a metre across. Pairs come back to the same eyrie year after year and add more each time, so old ones grow enormous.
When ospreys nest
Ospreys spend the winter in Africa, mostly West Africa. The first birds are back in late March, most in April, and they get straight on with the nest. There are usually two or three eggs, laid in April. The female does most of the sitting, for about 37 days, while the male brings her fish.
The chicks fly at about seven to eight weeks old, and by the end of August and September the ospreys are heading south again, the young ones making the journey on their own.
How to help ospreys
Ospreys had died out in Britain by the early 1900s. A pair settled at Loch Garten in the Scottish Highlands in the 1950s, and they have spread slowly from there, helped by people. Most of us help by watching:
- Visit a watchpoint. RSPB Loch Garten in the Cairngorms, Rutland Water in the East Midlands and the Dyfi Osprey Project in Wales all let you watch a nest from a hide, and several have webcams.
- Keep away from other nests. Ospreys are on Schedule 1, so disturbing one at the nest without a licence is an offence.
- Platforms are for landowners. If you own woodland near good fishing water, a conservation group can advise on a platform. Any work near an occupied nest needs a licence.
Checked against: RSPB: Osprey, BTO BirdFacts: Osprey. Last checked 8 November 2026.
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Questions
Where can I see an osprey nest in the UK?
RSPB Loch Garten in Scotland, Rutland Water in England and the Dyfi Osprey Project in Wales all have public viewing and webcams in the season.
When do ospreys arrive and leave?
They arrive from late March and through April, and leave in August and September for Africa.
Do ospreys use the same nest every year?
Yes. Pairs return to the same eyrie and add to it every year, which is why old ones get so big.
Are ospreys protected?
Yes. They are on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes disturbing them at the nest an offence.
