The Osprey is a fish-eating bird that spots its prey from above the water and plunges in feet first to catch it. Across much of the United States, it nests near lakes, rivers, and coasts, often on a conspicuous stick platform.

Appearance

Appearance
A white head with a bold brown eye stripe sits above a white body and long, narrow wings. From below, the wings often look bent at the wrists.

Look-alikes

Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus

An adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has a dark body and plain white tail; an Osprey has a white body and banded tail. Young eagles look mottled rather than clean white below.

Why they get mixed upBoth are large fish-eating birds near water.

Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis

The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) has broader wings and a shorter, broader tail. An Osprey has longer wings that kink at the wrists.

Why they get mixed upBoth can soar overhead with pale underparts.

Where it lives

Typical habitats
  • lakes and rivers
  • estuaries
  • coastal shorelines
Range
It breeds from Alaska to New England and across many other parts of the U.S. Look for it where open water holds fish.
Seasonal presence
A breeding bird in many U.S. states; many birds migrate south after the nesting season.
When it’s recorded

Recorded year-round, every year · most records in Apr

67,926 observations in the US · 10 years · for reference

Behavior

Diet
It eats almost entirely live fish in North America.
Activity
It dives feet first, then carries a catch in its talons.

Life cycle

Nest
It piles sticks on a treetop, pole, or built platform near fish-rich water.
Clutch size
1–4 eggs
Incubation
36–42 days

Connected species

Ties with other wildlife
In North America, Bald Eagles sometimes chase Ospreys and steal the fish they catch.

Name and classification

About the name
The four regional are the North American Osprey (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis), Palearctic Osprey (Pandion haliaetus haliaetus), Caribbean Osprey (Pandion haliaetus ridgwayi), and Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus) of the Indo-Pacific.

Conservation

IUCN Red List
LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Status
U.S. populations recovered after was banned, and nesting platforms have helped in some areas.
10 sources
  1. iNaturalist taxon API: Pandion haliaetus
  2. 국립생태원 물수리
  3. First breeding records of the osprey on Jeju Island (Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity)
  4. Cornell Lab Osprey Life History
  5. Cornell Lab Osprey Similar Species
  6. 国土交通省 太田川 ミサゴ
  7. 環境省 第5次レッドデータブック 鳥類
  8. 国土交通省 山国川の鳥図鑑 ミサゴ
  9. 国立科学博物館 ボラ標本
  10. National Park Service Point Reyes: Eagle versus Osprey
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes | Moeyo