According to Ben Wurst, senior wildlife biologist with Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, the 2025 nesting season for ospreys in the state began as it often did: Breeding adults returned to their nests in March and April, pairs reunited and nesting activity got underway on schedule. “But as the season progressed,” he explained, “it became clear that this year would be anything but typical.”

Across the state, osprey reproductive success dropped to its lowest level in decades, Wurst pointed out.