Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 21.3–22.8 in
54–58 cm - Wingspan
- 59.1–70.9 in
150–180 cm - Weight
- 49.4–70.5 oz
1400–2000 g
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.
Habitat
Lake/Pond
Breeds in variety of habitats with shallow water and large fish, including boreal forest ponds, desert salt-flat lagoons, temperate lakes, and tropical coasts. Winters along large bodies of water containing fish.
Food
Fish
Fish.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–4 eggs
- Egg Description
- Creamy white to pinkish cinnamon, heavily wreathed around larger end with reddish brown spots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Capable of limited motion. Covered with down and with eyes open.
Nest Description
Large nest of sticks, lined with bark, sod, grasses, vines, and sometimes plastic bags.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Dives feet-first into water to grab fish from near surface. Often hovers over water before dive.
Conservation
Least Concern
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.
Credits
- 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.