A Message from Oregon Law
As the Knight Law Center enters its twentieth year of operation, the building’s roof is showing its age, with leaks appearing whenever it rains. A full replacement is scheduled soon. To ensure safety and prepare for this work, the law school’s beloved Osprey nest will be removed before the upcoming migration season. This decision was made in consultation with avian experts and with the support of the Oregon Law Osprey camera’s namesake, former Dean Margie Paris.
For more than a decade, the Osprey have brought joy and wonder to our community and beyond. They’ve inspired learning, sparked curiosity, and connected people across the world to the beauty of these incredible birds. It has truly been an honor to provide them a safe home.
We are working with the Cascades Raptor Center to explore relocation opportunities and will share updates as soon as they are available. Thank you for caring about these remarkable creatures and for being part of this journey with us. If you would like to reach us, please email us at lawnews@uoregon.edu
Osprey Facts
Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus
Size: Weight: 2.5-4.5 pounds | Wingspan: ~ 56 inches
Habitat: Lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and large rivers
- The maximum life span of osprey in the wild is estimated at 25 years.
- About 98 percent of an osprey’s diet is comprised of fish although other prey items may be taken such as small birds.
- Osprey exhibit strong nest site fidelity. Breeding pairs usually return to the same nest territory year after year to breed.
- Each pair mates for life.
- Courtship activities, breeding, egg laying and incubation occurs March through May.
- Osprey raise one brood per year, with 1 to 4 eggs (mean = 3) laid. Eggs hatch in about 38 days.
- Young osprey fly at about 52 days after hatching, typically making their first flights in late July and early August.
- An osprey pair raising two nestlings consumes about 375 pounds of fish during the breeding season.
- Osprey migrate south to wintering grounds beginning in late August. Many winter in coastal areas of Mexico such as Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.
*Source: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
About the Osprey Nest at Oregon Law
Eugene is known for its rain and clouds – but not for fish dropping out of the sky. Osprey legend is that in 2014, while the birds were nesting at the historic Hayward field, they dropped their lunch – which happened to be trout – on unsuspecting runners. It was at that point in time that the University had the nest moved across the street to its current location at Oregon Law. The Ospreys soon adapted, and within two weeks, they moved to their new nest.
The nest currently rests on a 52-foot-galvanized steel lamp post retrofitted to be a platform. In 2018, the School of Law installed a video camera atop the osprey nest perch to offer a bird’s eye view in real time of the nesting osprey. This unique view was made possible through gifts by friends and alumni in honor of retired Dean Margaret “Margie” Paris, the first woman to hold the deanship at Oregon Law. Since being installed, more than 170,000 visitors have viewed the live stream.