Wildlife Facts The Osprey, or Pandion haliaetus, is a unique bird, the only member of its genus. The word “osprey” is thought to have come from Latin words that mean “bird of prey”. The genus name, Pandion, arises from the Greek myth about Pandion, a king of Athens whose two daughters were turned into birds, a swallow and a nightingale. The species name is from the combination of two Greek words halos (the sea) and aetos (eagle). It is a raptor, or bird of prey. Ospreys are solitary creatures, hunting and even migrating alone. But where fishing is good, several can coexist peacefully. It can be found all over the world, except Antarctica, migrating to warmer regions during the winter months. What do they look like? An adult osprey measures 22-25 inches with a wingspan of 4-6 feet. It flies on narrow and flat wings with a distinct “kink” at the elbow. It has a short hooked beak. It has a white cape, dark brown back, nape and upperwings. Its chin, throat, breast and belly are white. Where did our Osprey come from? Aussie, our osprey, was seen literally falling from the sky! It was found by an SBMA employee and brought to our rescue center for rehabilitation. From a chest X-ray, a bullet was found lodged in its breast muscle and surgically removed. What do they eat? Ospreys eat mainly live fish. They occasionally also take other small prey such as snakes, rodents, other aquatic prey and even other birds. How do they hunt? Like other raptors, osprey have strong hooked talons and beaks. But osprey have additional unique adaptations. The feet have two toes pointing backwards (most birds only have at most one toe facing backwards), and the underside is covered with especially rough, short spines to provide a firm grip. Ospreys usually forage while flying, although some may perch-and-wait. They may hover, glide or circle to look for prey. Once the prey is located, they dive, sometimes from a great height, entering the water feet first. They may go completely underwater to grab the fish. To fly more smoothly after catching a fish, the bird will re-arrange the fish in its talons for a more streamlined profile. Their feathers are also very oily for extra waterproofing as they plunge into the water. However, this makes them buoyant, so they cannot go deeper than 1 meter below the surface. Their nostrils can close as they dive underwater. Where do they hunt? Ospreys usually hunt in the early morning or late afternoon when the light is best for sighting underwater prey. They prefer to hunt on calm shallow waters with trees or structures to provide perches, such as estuaries, mangroves, freshwater wetlands and man-made habitats such as reservoirs, rice fields, irrigation canals. They avoid mountainous regions. How do they breed? Ospreys generally pair for life. The male selects the nesting site, near a good source of food, free of predators and surrounded by open area for easy take off and landing and easy sight of approaching predators. The male courts with aerial acrobatics and by presenting his mate with food or nesting material, accompanied by a courtship call. How well the male feeds the female determines the strength of the pair bond. The nest is a platform of coarse sticks and other bits and pieces, which they may reuse for many years. Sites are usually on tall dead trees with flat tops or even man-made structures such as pylons and towers or sometimes also on cliffs. The female lays 2 to 4 creamy eggs with reddish-brown spots. But there is sibling rivalry among the young so it is rare for more than 1-2 offspring to survive. The female incubates the eggs for about 5-6 weeks, relying on the male to feed her. Although both parents feed the young, the males take the lead, often eating the head and tail only, leaving the more nutritious parts of the fish for his mate and their young. The young fledge in about 6 weeks. How long do they live? Osprey are able to breed at 3-5 years old and can live for 13-18 years. Is it a boy or girl? Females have brown spots on the chest like a necklace, while the underparts of the male is entirely white. Females are also larger and heavier. Juvenile ospreys have back feathers with white tips. What is their conservation status? As a top predator, ospreys are considered a good indicator of the health of their environment. Ospreys were widely hunted as a pest on game fishing and fish farms, although their catch was really negligible. Hunting them is now illegal in many parts of the world. Habitat destruction also removes suitable nesting sites and prey. Pesticide poisoning of prey (e.g., DDT) reduces the number of prey, but also weakens the bird’s eggshells, making the eggs less permeable to oxygen and causes the eggs to break as the parents incubate them. Efforts to conserve Ospreys include building special nesting platforms for them. What are Ospreys?
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