Osprey

Osprey, adult, Sanibel Island, FL, March

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Osprey, adult with fish; Ding Darling NWR, FL.

Osprey, in flight, carrying fish, Sanibel Island, FL. Ospreys generally carry fish with the head forward, which cuts wind resistance and speeds flight back to nest or perch.

The "business end" of an Osprey: long claws and spiny pads on feet help secure live fish prey. In addition, the outer toe (here, facing viewer) is reversible, allowing an individual to grip fish with 2 toes forward and 2 back -- providing extra stability.

Osprey, adult female(L) and juveniles (R) in nest, Sanibel, FL

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

One of the largest birds of prey in North America, the Osprey eats almost exclusively fish. It is one of the most widespread birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica.

Description

• Large raptor.
• White breast and belly.
• Black back and wings.
• Long wings, held with wingtips angled slightly backwards.
• Dark eyestripe.
• Crown and forehead white.

• Size: 54-58 cm (21-23 in)
• Wingspan: 150-180 cm (59-71 in)
• Weight: 1400-2000 g (49.42-70.6 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar; female larger and tends to have fuller and darker chest band.

Sound

Calls are short, chirping whistles

Conservation Status

Osprey numbers declined drastically in 1950-1970s, from pesticide poisoning and eggshell thinning. After the ban on DDT, populations increased rapidly. Still listed as endangered or threatened in some states, especially in inland states where populations were small or extirpated after the pesticide years.

Other Names

Balbuzard pêcheur (French)
Gavilán pescador (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Osprey readily builds its nest on manmade structures, such as telephone poles, channel markers, duck blinds, and nest platforms designed especially for it. Such platforms have become an important tool in reestablishing Ospreys in areas where they had disappeared. In some areas nests are placed almost exclusively on artificial structures.

• Osprey eggs do not hatch all at once, but instead the first chick hatches out up to five days before the last one. The older chick dominates its younger siblings, and can monopolize the food brought by the parents. If food is abundant, little aggression is seen amongst the chicks, but if food is limited, the younger chicks often starve.

• The Osprey is a fish-eating specialist, with live fish accounting for about 99% of its diet. Barbed pads on the soles of its feet help it grip slippery fish. When an Osprey takes a large fish to its nest, it carries the fish headfirst to make it as aerodynamic as possible.

Sources used to construct this page:

Poole, A. F., R. O. Bierregaard, and M. S. Martell. 2002. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). In The Birds of North America, No. 683 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.