Osprey Bird Information

No raptor species has a larger range than the osprey. Often called a fish hawk because of its diet, the osprey is present on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. An osprey is skilled at finding fish and capturing them with their talons after literally diving into the water. No other raptor in North America practices such behavior.

  1. Identification

    • Ospreys are brown on the upper parts, and white on the chest and belly. Its white head features a dark line that runs through the eye and along the side of the face. An osprey is considered a large bird of prey, only a little smaller than the bald eagle, with some as large as 2 feet in length. The osprey's wings are narrow and its tail is short. At the end of its wings, the osprey has four extended feathers that resemble fingers. Some ospreys have a wingspan of 6 feet.

    Geography

    • The osprey can usually be found in the Pacific Northwest, the Rockies and the Great Lakes states. It also spends summers in Alaska, most of Canada and along the East Coast of the United States. When winter approaches, the osprey must leave inland areas that freeze. The bird will then head south to the Gulf Coast, Mexico, Central America and South America. Ospreys always live near water, with lakes, ponds, rivers and oceans providing them with plenty of food.

    Features

    • Adaptations allow an osprey to go into the water and catch fish. It has nostrils it can close when it splashes down into an aquatic scenario after a potential meal. The outer toes on the talons are reversible and permit the osprey to grasp the fish as it flies, with the fish always carried headfirst to make it aerodynamic. The talons have barbed pads that also aid in the holding of a fish.

    Nesting

    • The osprey constructs a massive nest.

      Few birds make better use of the structures provided to them for nesting sites than the osprey. Its nest is so large that it requires a sturdy site, so the bird will construct nests on telephone poles and platforms along coasts and lakes. The osprey's nest is comprised of vines, sticks, sod and other materials. The female lays as many as four eggs, which hatch at intervals, allowing the firstborn chick to dominate the smaller siblings when food is scarce.

    Considerations

    • The female osprey is usually a bit larger than the male. She has brown markings on the neck that resemble a necklace. The osprey's numbers saw a steep decline around 1970 due to a loss of habitat and poison from pesticides that wound up in the fish they ate. The strict regulation of pesticides and protection from government agencies helped the osprey to return in much larger numbers. Ornithologists recognize four distinct subspecies of the osprey.