GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Ospreys nesting on the top of a 90-foot light pole are new internet celebrities in Gainesville.
The University of Florida's Wildlife Ecology and Conservation department installed a webcam near the school's baseball stadium.
Researchers hope the ospreys will stick around long enough for the camera to capture their egg-laying, the hatching and the fledging of chicks.
The Gainesville Sun reports that the osprey population fell in the 20th Century, but rebounded after the pesticide DDT was banned.
The large birds of prey live in Florida year round.
UF professor Mark Hostetler says the camera gives researchers like him a chance to see the birds up close, and learn how they build their nests, and what fish they're eating.
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Information from: The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, http://www.gainesvillesun.com
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