The Northern California Osprey Collaborative grew out of the North Coast Osprey Project, a field-based research and conservation effort founded by Elizabeth Meisman at Cal Poly Humboldt in 2025. Focused on the breeding Osprey population in and around Humboldt Bay, the project combines nest monitoring and cameras to study diet and parental behavior, alongside banding and biological sampling to investigate demographics and genetics.

After observing low nest success during the 2025 breeding season, the team began asking bigger questions: how are Osprey populations faring across the broader region? That curiosity sparked the formation of the Northern California Osprey Collaborative — a community-driven initiative designed to expand monitoring efforts beyond Humboldt Bay to coastal areas, reservoirs, and river systems throughout Northern California.

We are a collaborative network of researchers, community scientists, land managers, students, birders, and youth groups working together to better understand and conserve breeding Ospreys across our region. By building partnerships within our local communities, we aim to fill longstanding knowledge gaps in regional raptor research and develop a clearer picture of how our Osprey populations are doing at a regional scale.

We are currently seeking volunteers to help locate Osprey nests and assist with monitoring throughout the breeding season. Whether you have a nest to report or are interested in getting involved, your contributions can make a meaningful difference. We would love to hear from you!