Measurements of reproductive success of ospreys (Eandion haliatus) on Flathead Lake in western Montana were generally lower than comparable measurements taken by other investigators in Virginia and Florida. There is also evidence that the number of young fledged is declining approximately 30% annually, a rate similar to that found for ospreys in the northeastern United States. At this rate of decline complete extirpation of the population is predicted by 1980 at the latest. Limited evidence suggests that pesticide contamination is responsible for the reproductive failure of these ospreys.
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