(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Kane County Forest Preserve officials hope a new osprey-nesting platform will attract the rare raptor to Batavia's Dick Young Forest Preserve.
According to a press release from the county, officials hope the site — which sits along Nelson Lake Marsh — will serve as a nice home for a breeding pair of osprey to raise their young.
The Nelson Lake Marsh's large, shallow and open body of water should provide plenty of hunting and habitat for the birds, officials said.
Kane County Forest Preserve officials have previously described the area as an excellent place for bird watching, with around 250 species of birds reported near the marsh.
The osprey nest was paid for, in part, by the Kane Forest Preserve Foundation, as well as proceeds from the 2022 Kane Native Plant Sale.
Osprey are currently listed as a threatened species in Illinois.