Osprey Numbers Fall in Yellowstone

Laramie, WY – The chief ornithologist in Yellowstone National park says a staggering decline in ospreys on Yellowstone Lake is due to a drastic reduction in the number of
native cutthroat trout.
Ornithologist Terry McEneaney says only nine nesting pairs of osprey were seen on the lake last year, and the
population appears to be declining at what he terms a staggering rate.
McEneaney says he used to see 20 or 30 in a day, and now he's lucky to see a couple.
Another signature bird in Yellowstone, the trumpeter swan, is also in decline -- reaching some of the lowest numbers since the 1930s.
McEneaney says the number of swans in Yellowstone has dropped steadily since 1961, and now stands at 14. He notes the bird is surviving elsewhere in North America.