Broadwater Parklands osprey nest camera

Project typeEnvironment
Project valueSee project details below
Project scheduleJuly 2023 to June 2025

The Gold Coast has its very own eastern osprey family nesting at Broadwater Parklands. We are working on an exciting project to install cameras above the osprey's nest so you can watch them hatch, grow and fish at our beautiful Broadwater.

Upgrading the nest platform with an osprey camera is a signature action under the Our Natural City Strategy 2032. By providing safe places for animals, we can protect and support nature while improving our understanding of local wildlife.

The project plays an important role in ensuring the long-term viability of our eastern osprey family's nest. We will restrict nest inspections and camera installations to a brief period outside the breeding season to protect the osprey's welfare.

Wildlife specialists will monitor the osprey’s welfare throughout the project. Citizen scientists will be able to view important footage to better understand eastern osprey and their behaviour as well as contribute to long-term protection efforts.

Project details

Undertake a condition assessment on the existing osprey nest platform and pole – completed January/ February 2024
Replace existing osprey nest platform and pole (depending on condition assessment) in same general location – January/February 2025
Install cameras above the nest – January/February 2025
If there is a requirement to replace the pole and platform as well as install cameras, the value of the project is estimated to be $132,395. This estimate could potentially be reduced due to partnership opportunities and the results of the condition assessment.

Impacts during works

There will be minimal impact to park users during works.

Construction works are scheduled to start in January 2025.

Please take note of any temporary signage or track exclusions when visiting the park.

Benefits

Community education and awareness, contributing to the conservation of coastal raptors
Supporting citizen science initiatives, research and state of the environment data
Providing accessibility to nature through camera footage of eastern ospreys in their nest
Delivering environmental initiatives in partnership with multiple sectors
Images of our beautiful Gold Coast wildlife and Broadwater shared worldwide

Some interesting facts about the eastern osprey

As one of Australia’s most biodiverse cities, we are home to over 3000 native animals, including the iconic eastern osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus).
Eastern ospreys inhabit coastal areas, islands, and estuaries. As a city with 171km of navigable waterways the eastern osprey chooses to call the Gold Coast home.
We are a city in nature. The eastern osprey tends to avoid more populated areas so the Gold Coast is fortunate to have them nesting in the heart of the Broadwater Parklands, Southport.
In Australia, the eastern osprey breeds from April to February and mating pairs form long-term bonds.
An eastern osprey’s nest can be up to 2 metres wide and is made of sticks, driftwood and seaweed. They will return to this nest for many years to rear chicks
Females lay between 2 and 3 eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks. They are incubated for around 40 days before they hatch. The juvenile eastern ospreys stay with the mother bird until they learn to fly at around 9 weeks.
Our waterways are home to many fish, which is the eastern osprey's primary food source. They have a fishing success rate of up to 70%. That’s close to a catch in 3 of every 4 dives!
The eastern osprey also has a unique adaptation called a nictitating membrane or third eyelid, which acts like a pair of goggles. The bird can close this eyelid and see under water.