Evolutionary risks of osprey translocations

Evolutionary context matters when moving species. Reintroductions that are not consistent with the evolutionary history of a species, and that will likely alter the species’ future evolution, could prove detrimental to conservation. For osprey conservation, translocation programs that move individuals without accounting for local adaptations between populations have negative short-term and long-term effects. All future osprey reintroductions must consider science-based recommendations. Genetic and behavioral processes that occur on evolutionary time scales are at least as important as those that are readily visible at the time scales of most conservation actions.