Several dozen bird lovers flocked to the Port of Richmond on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the unveiling of a new osprey livestream.
Ospreys, a type of raptor sometimes called sea hawks or river hawks, are fish-eating birds that have taken to nesting along the San Francisco Bay’s edges in recent decades. The livestream will focus on a pair of raptors nesting on a historic World War II-maritime crane that sits along a particularly scenic spot of the port.
In a nod to the city’s history, The Golden Gate Audubon Society has named the hawks “Rosie," after the city's ties to Rosie the Riveter, and Richmond.
Rosie — the bird with the speckled chest — is expected to lay eggs in the next few weeks, and viewers will be able to follow along via the livestream as the couple raises its hatchlings.
The Golden Gate Audubon Society, which focuses on preservation and research, spent the last year planning the high-definition livestream with help from ally organizations. The camera is equipped with night vision for streaming 24-hours a day, seven days a week and can be found over on the SFBay Osprey website.
“Ospreys are successfully nesting along the edges of the San Francisco Bay for the first time in recorded history,” said Cindy Margulis, Executive Director of Golden Gate Audubon. “The presence of these charismatic raptors highlights the environmental progress that’s been made in our region, and underscores the opportunities for people to help ospreys prosper here.”
Margulis noted that keeping the Bay clean is key to maintaining hospitable environments for the birds.
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“We believe that witnessing the life of an osprey family along our urban shoreline can inspire the whole community to protect ospreys and other Bay Area wildlife," she said.
Richmond Mayor Tom Butt, who was on hand for the livestream’s public unveiling, said he had already been enjoying watching the burgeoning family.
“I’ve been watching it for several days and it’s just mesmerizing. I’m not used to playing second-fiddle to a bird, but, you know, today is the bird’s day,” he joked.
To find out more about how you can help preserve Bay Area wildlife, check out the Audubon website.
Contact Gillian Edevane at Gillian.Edevane@nbcuni.com.
