SF Bay Ospreys Camera Web Stream Announcement
In April of 2026 Golden Gate Bird Alliance announced that this would be the final year of the SF Bay Osprey Cam. The last day of the stream will be Monday 11/30/2026. The history information and fish matrix will be migrated over to the Golden Gate Bird Alliance website. The live chat will be transitioned to a channel on Golden Gate Bird Alliance’s new Discord platform. Both the SF Bay Osprey Facebook and Youtube channels will remain up and running in perpetuity, with occasional updates of Wendy, Richmond, other visiting Ospreys to the area.
History and Acknowledgement
In 2017 Golden Gate Bird Alliance installed two SF Bay Ospreys cameras to bring the Port of Richmond’s Whirley Crane Osprey pair, Rosie and Richmond, into the homes of admirers around the world. For over nine years the cameras have followed the lives of Rosie and Richmond as they built and maintained their nest, raised chicks, and returned year after year. The SF Bay Osprey Cam achieved its goal to bring birds and bird conservation to a new audience, connecting people to nature through the lives of our local Osprey.
With a heavy heart we announced the final year of the SF Bay Ospreys cam live stream in April. We want to express our sincere gratitude for all the volunteers who dedicated heroic amounts of time setting up the program, educating viewers, banding the nestlings, and serving as camera operators, video editors, and fish matrix masters. They made the program possible. Most importantly, we would like to thank you, everyone at home who watched Rosie, Richmond, and this year’s new female, Wendy. Thank you to everyone who participated in building this incredible community through social media and the live chat. Just like the birds will continue to go about their lives without the cams, we know this community will live on.
This year Rosie did not return but Richmond found a new mate, a young female we named Wendy. Richmond returned to the Whirley Crane, where he single-talonedly built an impressive
new nest. Unfortunately Wendy and Richmond were not successful in their nesting attempt, it’s therefore unlikely that they will use that specific nest location again.
Why are we decommissioning the SF Bay Ospreys cameras?
● Primarily, with the birds no longer nesting on the Whirley Crane, we are not afforded the excellent visibility we once had. This makes it difficult to use the Cam as an educational tool and a platform to connect viewers with nature.
● Ospreys are a conservation success story in the Bay, and GGBA’s strategic plan is to turn our bandwidth and focus to species that need our help most. Because Osprey have made such a successful local recovery, you can see them often on the shoreline. We encourage you to grab binoculars and look over the Bay to see these extraordinary birds in person.
● The resources dedicated to the Osprey Cam (staff and volunteer time, streaming costs, website hosting and maintenance costs) will be used to protect and enhance habitat for Bay Area species in decline.
● The Whirley Crane is aging. Because of its structural issues, accessing the camera equipment for necessary ongoing maintenance is becoming more logistically difficult and expensive.
● This program cannot run without our dedicated volunteers, but the number of hours it takes to monitor the cameras, provide an optimal viewing experience, research and log details of fish brought to the Whirley Crane, and share special moments via YouTube and Facebook are long, and our current volunteers are ready to reclaim some of those hours for other projects.
When will the stream end?
The stream will end on November 30, 2026.
What will remain on the website and where can I find the information?
Website: The historic information from the SFBayOspreys.org website will be migrated to a page on the goldengatebirdalliance.org website by December 1, 2026.
● Live Chat: GGBA is rolling out a new chatting feature for the entire community on Discord. On November 30, 2026 the current Live Chat on SFBayOspreys.org will end but a dedicated channel on GGBA’s Discord tool will be created and all chatters will be invited to join. More to come on the new Discord tool.
● Facebook page and YouTube channel: Both social media accounts will remain active for the foreseeable future.
● Fish Counting Matrix: the invaluable data collected from 2018-2024, and again in 2026, will be made available on GGBA’s website.
What will GGBA do with the cameras and equipment?
The McNear Brickyard Vaux’s Swift project volunteers have expressed interest in the cameras. We will be working with them to see if the equipment will be suitable for their needs. If it works out we will be sharing the stream with our members.
Sincere Gratitude For All Our Supporters!
Golden Gate Bird Alliance is deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations that have made this first-ever SF Bay Ospreys camera project possible. We’d like to thank the following for their crucial cooperation and support:
● WWOC Live Chat community
● Cindy Margulis, Tony Brake, Craig Griffeath, Robin, and Dianne Ayres ● City of Richmond and Port of Richmond
● Joe Pifer, Tim Sears, and HDOnTap
● Craig Newmark, Founder Craigslist
● Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee
● Golden Gate Raptor Observatory
● John Ehrenfeld
● Mary Austin
● PG&E
● Richmond Museum Association
● Rosie the Riveter National Park
● S.S. Red Oak Victory Ship & Museum
● S.F. Bay Osprey Coalition