Trumpeter Swan and Osprey populations recovering in Wisconsin

March 21, 2:51 AMGreen Living ExaminerAmy Lou Jenkins

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

The state Natural Resources Board has approved removing the Trumpeter Swan and Osprey from the state Endangered and Threatened Species list. Trumpeter Swans had been listed as a state endangered species while Ospreys were listed as a state threatened species. Both species will continue to receive protection under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The delisting was approved by a unanimous vote of the board members. Not long ago both the Trumpeter Swan and the Osprey were nearly extinct in our state; however, populations of both birds have recovered to the point where they are believed to be secure. DDT and loss of habitat had reduced populations of Osprey to a nonviable numbers. The large low-flying swans were an easy target. Hunters expatriated them from the state.