Osprey
Osprey
Adult
- Large and lanky raptor
- Long wings mostly dark brown
- White crown and throat with dark stripe through yellow eye
- Sharply hooked black bill
- © Ron Kube, AB, September 2009
Osprey
Adult female
- Distinctive facial pattern with bold black stripe through eye
- Sharply hooked black bill
- Glowing yellow eye
- Females usually show dark necklace across white breast
- © Kim Taylor, VA, March 2009
Osprey
Adult female
- Large, long-winged raptor often seen carrying fish
- Wings always bent and bowed downwards in flight
- White breast, belly, and "arm-pits"
- Under-wings patterned dark closer to tips
- © Kim Taylor, VA, August 2009
Osprey
Adult in flight
- Long, lanky wings
- Wings always bent and bowing downward in flight
- Mostly white underneath
- Black stripe through eye
- © Laura Erickson, MN, Hawk Ridge, Duluth, September 2009
Osprey
Adult in flight
- Large and lanky raptor
- Wing shape distinctive in flight: always crooked and bowing downward
- Mostly white underneath, but wings show dark patterning closer to tips
- Bold black stripe through eye
- © Michael J. Andersen, CA, Lake Hodges, San Diego County, February 2010
Osprey
Adults feeding juvenile
- Large and long-winged
- Mostly dark brown above and white below
- White crown with dark stripe through yellow eye
- Juvenile shows buffy chest and darker orange eyes
- © Kim Taylor, VA, June 2011
Osprey
Juvenile
- Large, long-winged raptor
- Sharply hooked black bill
- Juvenile shows buffy chest and neck, and orange eye
- Pale scaling on back and wings fades to dark as juvenile ages
- © Kim Taylor, VA, July 2011
Osprey
Juvenile
- Long wings
- Buffy on neck and under-wings
- Streaky crown
- Black and white barred tail
- © Kim Taylor, VA, July 2011
Osprey
Juvenile at nest
- Long, lanky wings
- White under-wings close to the body, dark patterned at tips
- Juvenile shows buffy brown patch on chest
- Black and white barred tail
- © Kim Taylor, VA, July 2011
Osprey
Adult in dive
- Often seen diving into water from significant height to catch fish
- Wings pulled back sharply when entering dive
- Mostly white underneath
- Dark stripe through eye
- © Tony Varela, WA, July 2011
Similar Species
Third year
- Similar to Osprey, but larger and heavy-bodied
- Wings broader, held flat in flight, not angled
- Bill much larger and thicker than in Osprey
- No barring on tail
- © Raymond Lee, Parkhills, AB, February 2010
Adult
- Smaller than Osprey with shorter, broader wings
- Stocky and compact
- Wings held flat in flight, not bent downward
- Adults show solid, brick-red tail
- © Betty Lemley, NJ, February 2008
Adult
- Similar in shape to Osprey but wings angled upward, not downward
- Black body
- Distinctive two-toned under-wing pattern
- Small, unfeathered red head
- © striatus, MD, October 2010