Northern Beaches has given a pair of threatened eastern ospreys a helping hand by adding branches to a purpose-built nesting platform at Avalon, with early signs suggesting the birds have already begun settling into their new home.
Read: Osprey Nesting Platform Installed in Avalon
The branches were recently placed on top of the 23-metre-high nesting pole at Hitchcock Park to create a basic nest structure and encourage the birds to establish a safe breeding site. Within a week, community members reported seeing an osprey pair using the platform, raising hopes the birds may remain through the breeding season.
The encouraging development comes months after the nesting platform was installed in late 2025 to provide an alternative to hazardous nesting locations such as construction cranes on development sites.
Northern Beaches said it was delighted to receive reports and photos from the community confirming an osprey pair had started making themselves at home just a week after the branches were installed. While it is still early in the breeding season, there is optimism the pair will lay eggs and successfully raise chicks at the site.
A safer place to nest
The eastern osprey is a fish-eating raptor that seeks elevated coastal nesting sites with clear views over its fishing grounds. Some osprey pairs have established nests on construction cranes and other unsuitable structures, creating safety risks for the birds and challenges for nearby worksites.
The platform at Hitchcock Park was designed to provide a secure nesting location above the tree canopy and away from human disturbance. When the project was announced in late 2025, Northern Beaches said the platform had been carefully positioned following advice from biodiversity specialists, with the aim of supporting the recovery of the threatened species in the area.
The eastern osprey is recognised by its dark brown upper plumage, pale head and underparts, and the distinctive black stripe that runs through its eye to a dark patch behind the ear. During breeding, the larger female typically lays two to three white eggs marked with brown blotches and incubates them for about 40 days. Young birds remain with their mother until leaving the nest at around nine weeks.
The nesting platform is intended to provide a safer place for breeding while reducing the risks associated with nesting on construction cranes and similar locations.
Community invited to help
Local residents have already played an important role by reporting sightings of the osprey pair, helping confirm that the birds had begun using the platform.
Northern Beaches is encouraging anyone who observes birds at the nest to share their sightings by emailing biodiversity@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au. Community observations will help monitor the success of the project and build a better understanding of how the platform is used over time.
Read: Award-Winning Piemaker Still Baking at Avalon Beach’s Careel Bay Shops
If the pair remains and breeds successfully, the platform could provide valuable insight into whether purpose-built nesting structures can support eastern ospreys on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Published 27-June-2026
