What Happened to The International Osprey Foundation in 2026?

Updated

In January 2026, The International Osprey Foundation (TIOF) officially transferred its mission to SCCF (the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation). The foundation, based in Sanibel, Florida, had built the region's osprey program over decades since its founding in 1981. SCCF now carries that work forward as part of its broader coastal conservation science program, which means osprey monitoring, nest adoption, and related volunteer efforts are now accessed through SCCF rather than through TIOF directly.

What the Transfer Means in Practice

The ospreys.com site still identifies the organization as The International Osprey Foundation and describes its mission as "Preserve ~ Research ~ Educate," but the operational program has moved. If your interest is in volunteering, monitoring nests, or adopting a nest, the current path runs through SCCF.

Before the transfer After the transfer
TIOF ran the regional osprey program SCCF runs osprey monitoring as part of its conservation science work
TIOF handled research grants and volunteer coordination Program activities continue under SCCF
Nest adoption supported TIOF efforts Nest adoption now supports SCCF's osprey work

The site itself points visitors toward SCCF for both "learn more about our osprey monitoring work" and "adopt an osprey nest to support our efforts."

Why the Program Still Matters

The handoff matters because the monitoring work is active and producing results. SCCF wrapped up its first osprey nesting season after the transfer with 187 of 221 chicks fledged — an 84.6% success rate and a productivity rate of 1.24, well above the 0.8–1.15 range considered necessary to sustain the population. Volunteers monitored 151 active nests across Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island, and Fort Myers Beach, within a program that watches over 200 nests regionally and feeds data into the global OspreyWatch database.

Because ospreys eat an almost entirely fish-based diet, their numbers also serve as an indicator of water quality, so the season's strong results reflect on Southwest Florida's coastal ecosystems more broadly, not just its raptors.

What Visitors Should Do Now

  • To follow monitoring news: Read updates through SCCF, which now publishes the nesting-season results and program details.
  • To support the work financially: Use SCCF's nest adoption option rather than TIOF donation channels.
  • To volunteer: Look to SCCF's volunteer opportunities for nest monitoring; monitors watch nests from below and confirm hatches through clues such as a female sitting higher or feeding behavior.
  • For historical context: The ospreys.com site remains a record of TIOF's mission and decades of program-building since 1981.

One practical note for anyone planning a visit or a volunteer inquiry: confirm current contact and program details with SCCF directly, since the site's TIOF-era pages may not reflect every operational change made after the January 2026 transfer.