An osprey that was banded in the Forest Preserves of Cook County was discovered in Bucaramanga, Colombia almost one year later. The bird was taken out of its nest and tagged at Sag Quarries in Lemont on June 16, 2023 and was found injured on June 1, 2024 in South America. A local organization in Bucaramanga nurtured the raptor back to health, followed standard procedures and sent the band’s information to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. The lab sends their reports to the organization that originally banded the bird. In this case, it ended up on the desk of Forest Preserves of Cook County Senior Wildlife Biologist Chris Anchor. Anchor and his team in the Resource Management department use bucket trucks when they make annual visit the Forest Preserves’ 20 osprey nesting platforms. They measure and weigh 20 – 30 osprey chicks, draw blood and check them for overall signs of health. Then they put an aluminum band with a unique identifier around each osprey chick’s leg. The team bands about 70 different bird species annually with the majority being warblers, finches and sparrows. After birth, ospreys fly south during the next winter, typically to the Gulf Coast, but some travel all the way to South America. They remain there for two years as they become sexually mature, find a mate and return to their natal area. The Forest Preserves spotlights unique flights such as the osprey’s journey on its online Bird Banding Map. Each trek lists the species, dates the bird was banded and found, and how it was found. To view the Forest Preserves Bird Banding Map, visit storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a8d2e11a84cc4e439a9423f93b481813