Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also known as the fish hawk, is a year-round resident along the Florida coast and the Caribbean! They are commonly seen building nests on manmade structures, such as telephone poles, pilings and more! Ospreys are also well adapted for fishing and can even close their nostrils when diving underwater. Keep reading to learn more about the osprey!

 #1: Ospreys are great hunters! 

To catch prey, ospreys will circle over shallow waters and dive into the water feet first to catch the located prey! Ospreys are known to be very skilled hunters and successfully catch a fish in at least one of every four dives.

 #2: Ospreys have special toes. 

An osprey’s feet give it the ability to be able to successfully hunt their prey! Ospreys have long legs and large feet that have spicules (tiny spines) on the bottom of their toes, which allows them to successfully hold onto slippery fish.

 #3: How do ospreys carry their prey? 

When ospreys hold a fish, they may rotate their outer toe backwards as it offers them more support while flying with their food! Ospreys will also typically hold the fish headfirst as it makes it easier for the osprey to fly.

 #4: How many eggs do ospreys lay? 

After ospreys build their large and bulky nest together, they get ready to lay eggs. Over the next several days, the female osprey will lay an average of two to four eggs.

 #5: Incubating osprey eggs. 

Both female and male ospreys work together to incubate their eggs. This incubation period will last around 34 to 40 days. Once the eggs hatch, the female osprey will brood the nestlings for 10 more days.

 #6: Ospreys are monogamous. 

To find a mate, male ospreys will return to the breeding grounds and select a nest site. Once the females arrive, the male will perform a sky dance which consists of undulating flights! Once the male is at the top of each undulation, the male will hover with their legs dangling and their tails fanned and then dive down with their wings drawn in. Unlike most birds, ospreys are monogamous and will generally mate for life with the partner they pick.

 #7: Are male or female ospreys bigger? 

There are several differences between male and female ospreys. First, the female osprey weighs about 15-20% more than male ospreys. The female osprey also has 5-10% longer wings, tails, claws and bill length. Additionally, the female osprey also differs from the male as they have more brown feathers across their throats!

 #8: The wingspan of ospreys. 

The wings of an osprey are a vital tool in helping them survive! The average wingspan of an osprey is five feet, that’s about the size of an average two-person park bench! Their massive wings give ospreys the ability to fly out of the water with a heavy fish. They wings are also coated in oil, which allows this species to effectively dive for food without causing any damage to their wings.

 #9: The average weight of an osprey. 

The average weight of an osprey is typically three to four pounds. They weigh about the same as a bag of sugar or a two-slice toaster!

From the 1950s to the 1970s, osprey populations significantly declined in North America. The reason for the decline in population was due to chemical pollutants which caused eggshell thinning in the osprey’s eggs, causing breeding failures. In 1972, the United States banned some harmful chemical pollutants which has allowed for the osprey population to significantly increase. However, some states still have ospreys listed as endangered. You can help protect ospreys by reducing pollution, protecting nesting sites and supporting conservation efforts.

Additional Osprey Resources:
1. Osprey Fact Sheet – The Nature Conservancy
2. Osprey – National Wildlife Federation
3. Osprey Video – Cornell Lab of Ornithology