Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Description: The Osprey weights 2 to 4.6 in lbs averaged out, and are 4-6 feet in wingspan. The Osprey has a crown and a white forehead with a very large raptor. It has very long wings held with wingtips that are angled slightly backwards. Finally, it has narrow wings with four long, finger-like feathers with a shorter fifth, it gives it a very distinctive appearance. Both the male and the female appear similar but the adult male has a slimmer body and narrower wings. The breast band of the male is weaker than a female and the underwing coverts of the male are more uniformly pale. The Osprey is a very large raptor with brown on the upperparts and is mostly grayish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and wings. It has a white breast and belly with black back and wings. Finally, it has a dark eyestripe with a white forehead.
Habitat: Overall the osprey is found worldwide and found in temperate and tropical regions of all continent except Antarctica. In North America it breeds from Alaska and down south through Argentina. In the summer its found throughout Europe into Scotland and finally into North Africa. It even stretches into Australia.
Diet: Fish makes up 99% of the Osprey’s diet.
Behaviors:
Habitat: Overall the osprey is found worldwide and found in temperate and tropical regions of all continent except Antarctica. In North America it breeds from Alaska and down south through Argentina. In the summer its found throughout Europe into Scotland and finally into North Africa. It even stretches into Australia.
Diet: Fish makes up 99% of the Osprey’s diet.
Behaviors:
- It has vision that is well adapted to detecting underwater objects from the air. When prey is sighted above the water, the bird hovers momentarily then plunges feet first into the water.
- It is well adapted to this diet with reversible outer toes, and sharp spicules on the underside of the toes. It has closable nostrils to keep water out during dives and backwards-facing scales on the talons that act as barbs to hold the catch.
- Osprey eggs do not hatch all at once, but instead the first chick hatches out up to five days before the last one. The older chick dominates its younger siblings, and can monopolize the food brought by the parents. If food is abundant, little aggression is seen amongst the chicks, but if food is limited, the younger chicks often starve.