Osprey Similar Species Comparison
Similar Species
Bald Eagle
Adult
Bald Eagles are larger than Osprey. Adults have a clean white tail and dark body, whereas Osprey have a banded tail and a white body.
© Steven Mlodinow | Macaulay LibraryColorado, January 10, 2017Similar Species
Bald Eagle
Juvenile
Juvenile Bald Eagles are heavily mottled with white and brown, but they don’t have the Osprey’s clean white body.
© Always An Adventure Inc. Team | Macaulay LibraryQuebec, February 12, 2017Similar Species
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult (borealis)
Red-tailed Hawks have much stouter and broader wings (without the Osprey’s kink at the wrists) and a shorter, broader tail. Though Red-tailed Hawks usually have pale underparts, they’re streaked with brown, particularly across the belly.
© Jonathan Eckerson | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 18, 2017Similar Species
Turkey Vulture
Adult (Northern)
Turkey Vultures have dark bodies unlike the white bodied Osprey.
© Matt Davis | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 01, 2017Main Species
Osprey
Adult (carolinensis)
Large. Brown back and wings contrast with the white underparts. Head white with a broad brown line through the eye, beak black and strongly hooked.
© Kris Perlberg | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 26, 2017Adult (carolinensis)
Call is a high-pitched series of short whistles. The calls are often slow and paced far apart—when the speed increases, it's often a response to a threat or an unfamiliar Osprey approaching.
© Benjamin Clock | Macaulay LibraryMaine, June 21, 2013Not all videos have sound
Adult
Flies on slightly bowed wings with a kink at the wrists, creating an M-shape when seen from below.
© Eric Liner | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 20, 2009Not all videos have sound
Adult (carolinensis)
Feeds exclusively on fish.
© David Brown | Macaulay LibraryPennsylvania, April 11, 2017Adult (carolinensis)
Large raptor that eats fish exclusively. Note mostly white head with brown line behind eye.
© Larry Arbanas | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 01, 2005Not all videos have sound
Adult (carolinensis)
In flight shows white belly and underwings contrasting with brown "wrists" and strongly barred flight feathers.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 23, 2015Juvenile (carolinensis)
Juveniles have fine white spotting on the upperwings and back.
© Matt Felperin | Macaulay LibraryMaryland, July 09, 2020Adult (carolinensis) with nestlings
Builds big stick nests in trees and on open-topped platforms. Juveniles have white edging to the back and wing feathers, creating a scaly appearance.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryNew York, August 05, 2012Not all videos have sound
Adult (carolinensis)
Can show a distinct crest, depending on wind direction and mood.
© Ferit Başbuğ | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 27, 2015Adult (carolinensis)
Constructs prominent large stick nests on platforms or large trees.
© Beth and Dan Fedorko | Macaulay LibraryVirginia, March 25, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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