Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Ospreys have a reversible outer toe and barbed pads on their feet called spicules, which help them grip slippery fish during flight.

Scientific name

Pandion haliaetus

Taxonomy

Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Accipitriformes › Pandionidae › Pandion

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Population trend

increasing

Biome

wetland

Habitat

Coastal waters, large lakes, and rivers with abundant fish populations.

Diet

Piscivorous; almost exclusively fish such as trout, mullet, and shad.

Range

North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America

Size

Wingspan of 127-180 cm; weight of 0.9-2.1 kg.

Lifespan

15-20 years

Active

diurnal

Threats

Habitat loss, entanglement in discarded fishing line, and water pollution affecting fish stocks.

Safe to approach?

Harmless to humans but highly defensive of nests. Maintain a distance of at least 50 meters from nesting platforms; if the bird circles and whistles loudly, you are too close. If you find a grounded Osprey or one entangled in fishing line, do not handle it yourself as the talons are sharp; contact a local wildlife rehabilitator immediately.

The osprey or more specifically the western osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) — also called sea hawk , river hawk , and fish hawk — is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.

Photo: Lawrence Hylton, CC-BY, via iNaturalist

Plain-text version: /species/76cbcd9a-9342-46ac-bb82-48b148bed88a.md