Ospreys appear to have bred successfully in Herefordshire for the first time in at least 200 years, after a pair raised three chicks to fledging.
The birds nested in an oak tree near the River Wye, close to the Powys border. Their nest location has not been made public to help protect them.
Local organisation Osprey Hereford said the pair established themselves in the county in 2025 and returned to the nest this year. The fish-eating birds are now thought to have begun their annual migration to western Africa, more than 3,000 miles away.
A welcome return for a persecuted species
Ospreys were hunted to near extinction as a breeding bird in Britain during the 1900s. They have since been reintroduced across England and Wales, with around 300 breeding pairs now recorded in the UK, including about 20 in Wales.
Herefordshire Wildlife Trust said the county’s new breeding pair most likely came from the growing Welsh population. Ospreys have also been spotted at Bodenham Lake, where local photographers have captured images of the rare visitors during their migration.
The birds remain amber-listed under the UK’s Birds of Conservation Concern, so keeping the nest site private is an important part of protecting their return.
Why it matters for Britain
The successful breeding shows how reintroduction and habitat protection can help native wildlife recover. It also adds to Herefordshire’s nature interest, while giving local people a rare chance to see ospreys along the county’s rivers and wetlands.
