Buffalo, NY Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Species Type: Bird. Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus. Conservation Status: Special Concern. New York Status: Special Concern. Federal Status: Not Listed. [...] The decline of this species was caused by DDT-induced eggshell thinning, which reduced the reproductive output of breeding pairs. In turn, the breeding population declined from an estimated 1,000 active nests in the 1940s between New York City and Boston, to an estimated 150 nests in 1969. Since the ban of the insecticide DDT in New York in 1971, and in the rest of the country in 1972, the population has slowly been making a comeback. In 1995, there were 230 breeding pairs on Long Island alone. In 1983, the osprey was down graded to "Threatened" from its 1976 listing as "Endangered", and in 1999 it was downgraded from "Threatened" to "Special Concern." [...] The osprey is probably the longest studied and monitored raptor in New York. DEC monitors the status and productivity of the majority of New York's population. Each year, both ground and aerial surveys are conducted by NYSDEC to document osprey nests in the state.