PERRY LAKE, Kan. -- Officials are hosting a media event to mark the first recorded successful osprey nesting in the state of Kansas as they work to install a permanent nesting structure at Perry Lake.
Once considered an endangered species, osprey are historically known to migrate through Kansas, however there have been no recorded successful nesting attempts until now.
Perry Lake staff, along with several partner agencies and organizations, will install a permanent nesting structure near the Slough Creek Bridge Boat Ramp on October 26, 2023.
Perry Lake employees, along with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, have been monitoring osprey nesting at the lake since 2019. However, a successful nesting was not observed and recorded until the summer of 2023. Those involved with monitoring the osprey nesting believe that the birds have been using the same spot at Slough Creek to nest since 2019, but lake and weather conditions at the nesting location have contributed to previous unsuccessful nesting attempts.
The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Evergy Green Team, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Ornithological Society and Operation Wildlife, will erect a permanent nesting structure near the current nesting location in the hopes that the osprey will have a more durable nesting structure that can withstand flooding and other extreme weather conditions.
The nesting platform will be installed near the Slough Creek Bridge Boat Ramp at Perry Lake on October 26, 2023, and will be an opportunity for all state, local and federal partners to celebrate the historic nesting and the inter-agency teamwork that has occurred over the last few years.
Questions regarding this successful osprey nesting or the installation of the nesting platform can be directed to the Perry Lake Project Office at 785-597-5144.
Media inquiries can be directed to the Kansas City District’s Public Affairs Office at 816-389-3486.