INA, IL (WSIL) -- A new habitat was built and set up to give a group of birds a comfortable new home on Thursday in southern Illinois.
The Rend Lake Army Corps of Engineers partnered with Ameren Illinois to build two artificial Osprey nests near the shore of the Ina Boat Ramp, just off 57 near Rend Lake College.
The Ospreys were nesting on top of a log that stuck a few feet out of the water. That log is deteriorating quickly so the engineers came up with the plan to give them safer and longer lasting homes.
Osprey are a threatened species in Illinois due to the effects of DDT in the 70's.
The Corps of Engineers hopes that many other species such as Eagles and Owls will use the nests as well.
