Fishermen in Ugingo village, Yimbo, Siaya County, discovered a Russian osprey entangled in a fishing net near Lake Victoria. The bird, which traveled over 8,000 kilometers, was rescued by the Kenya Wildlife Service and taken to a treatment center. KWS confirmed its origin through a Russian identification tag.
On Friday, November 7, 2025, while heading to Lake Victoria for a fishing expedition, a group of fishermen were surprised to see an osprey, a long-distance migratory bird from Russia, entangled in a fishing net in Ugingo village, Yimbo, Siaya County. They safely extracted it and took it to a local resident's home, then called the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to retrieve the bird.
In a post released on Saturday, November 8, 2025, KWS confirmed that the bird's Russian origin was revealed by a Russian identification tag on its left leg. These tags and transmitters are usually attached by bird experts to gather data for research and conservation efforts. “Responding swiftly, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Siaya team, led by Deputy County Warden Mr. Byatt Shikanga, took immediate action to ensure the bird’s safety. The exhausted feathered traveller from the Palaearctic region was carefully secured and put under expert supervision,” noted KWS.
An osprey is a large, fish-eating bird of prey known for its distinctive brown and white plumage and ability to hunt fish by diving into water. It can live 15-20 years in the wild, with some reaching 30 in captivity. Ospreys have a distinctive white underbelly, brown upper parts, and a dark eye stripe that gives them a masked look. Their reversible outer toes and barbed pads on their feet are adaptations for grasping slippery fish.
They are found on every continent except Antarctica. They thrive near water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, coasts and other wetlands, where fish are abundant. Ospreys are long-distance migrants, with some populations traveling up to 10,000 km (6,200 miles) annually between breeding and wintering grounds.
In the Northern Hemisphere, they breed from March to May, with Eurasian Ospreys, like the one from Russia, breeding in northern Europe and Asia. During winter, they migrate to Africa, as in this case for the Palaearctic migrant found in Siaya. Nearly 99 per cent of their diet consists of fish, making them highly specialized. They prefer species like mullet, perch, and carp, typically caught near the water’s surface.
Ospreys usually migrate over two seasons, with the first being the Spring migration (March-May) and the second being the fall migration (September-November). Tracking data, like the Russian tag, helps monitor these journeys, revealing global connectivity.
KWS detailed that under the guidance of Isaac Lekolool, Head of the KWS Veterinary Department, and Simon Thomsett, a renowned raptor specialist and rehabilitator, the Osprey was transferred to the Raptor Centre in Soysambu Conservancy, where it will undergo detailed medical examination, monitoring, and rehabilitation. It further encouraged the public to report sick or injured wild animals via its toll-free or WhatsApp numbers, or to the nearest KWS station for immediate intervention.
This is not the first time an Osprey has been spotted in Kenya, specifically in Siaya. Back in 2020, two Ospreys from Finland were found in Siaya, one later passed away due to severe dehydration despite the efforts of KWS to rescue it.