The osprey is a unique raptor, standing out for its beauty and choice of prey. A piscivore found on all continents on Earth except Antartica, osprey are a single species in their own genus and family. Some of these majestic birds migrate, while those in warm climates stay in place year-round.
Ospreys possess a large, five-foot wingspan and have brown, black, and white coloration throughout their wings and bodies. These birds of prey are noted for their nests which are built on tall, open tree branches or poles near bodies of water.
Also known as the river hawk, fish hawk, or sea hawk, ospreys are large birds of prey. Ospreys comprise a single species in one family and four subspecies that have some physical variations and are divided by geographic area.
They are noted for their large size, wide wingspan, and a distinctive dark patch on their wings. Ospreys have unique black stripes that run from their beaks across their eyes and down the sides of their heads. They live near water and are unique among raptors for their fish-based diet.
Unlike other raptors, which eat omnivorous diets of whatever’s available, ospreys eat fish exclusively. But they’re not picky about which fish: In North America, they are known to consume 80 freshwater and saltwater species. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, an osprey’s typical prey will measure between 6 and 13 inches in length and weigh less than a pound, though exceptions have been documented. In 2020, beachgoers in South Carolina captured video of an osprey apprehending what looks like a small shark (above).
Their fishy diet generally supplies all of the hydration they need.
To locate prey, ospreys glide high in the air over a body of shallow water, looking for fish with their keen vision. When they spot one, they will dive toward the surface, extending their legs and talons forward just before hitting the water. Once the fish is caught, the bird flaps its long wings to lift itself up. Unlike eagles or hawks, ospreys will always catch and hold its prey head-first to reduce wind resistance as they fly.
Ospreys build large nests, called eyries, on top of trees, telephone poles, buoys, or human-made nesting platforms near wetlands. The nests consist of sticks, reeds, and grasses, and those located near towns or cities might also include nylon netting, plastic bags, or other garbage. Once they successfully lay and raise eggs in their nest, ospreys will return to it year after year, adding additional sticks each time. But if an osprey pair fails to raise chicks for some reason, they’ll build a new nest—dubbed a “frustration eyrie”—nearby.
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