A 24/7 Live View into the Savannah, Georgia's Landings Bird Nest
In Partnership with Skidaway Audubon, The Landings and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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A brief history of the Landings Bird Cam
In the summer of 2014, cameras were installed above a bald eagle nest on Skidaway Island (near Savannah, Georgia). Although the eagles were expected to return for a third season, only one of the eagle pair was ever seen at the nest. During the Fall of 2014, a pair of Great Horned Owls began frequenting this recently abandoned Bald Eagle nest adjacent to a protected, nutrient-rich salt marsh along the Georgia coast. The nest sits nearly 80′ above one of the six Audubon International Certified golf courses at The Landings, on Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Georgia. Over the course of 2015 and 2016, a pair of owls successfully fledged four owlets from the site, but they did not return to breed in 2017. Instead, a pair of Ospreys began renovating the nest and committed to breeding in the same site for 2017.
About Ospreys
Ospreys are large hawks that evolved to hunt and eat fish. Their vision is over three times better than human vision so they can spot fish swimming below. The dark band around their eyes reduces glare from water. Their feet are unique among North American hawks: Rough pads on the feet help grip slippery fish, while one of their talons rotates to hold fish more aerodynamically in flight.
Ospreys are pretty easy to identify. Look for their white head, white breast, dark eye patch and hooked beak. Flying overhead, their wings make a sharp M or W pattern rather than a gentle curve. Hovering over water they dive for their prey and then plunge their head and feet forward, grabbing the fish with their feet.
Ospreys build nests close to the water with materials such as sticks, moss or seaweed. They tradionally nest on dead tree snags but when those are not available they often nest on human structures.
