Osprey

Unique among North American raptors for its diet of live fish and ability to dive into water to catch them, Ospreys are common sights soaring over Cape Cod shorelines, patrolling waterways, and standing on their huge stick nests, white heads gleaming. These large, rangy hawks do well around humans and have rebounded in numbers following the ban on the pesticide DDT. Hunting Ospreys are a picture of concentration, diving with feet outstretched and yellow eyes sighting straight along their talons.

Did you know?
* When diving after fish, Ospreys can completely submerge themselves underwater and still be able to fly away with their prey. Most other fish-eating birds of prey can only pluck fish from the surface of the water as they fly by.
* When they dive into the water, Osprey close their third eyelid – called a nictitating membrane – which is semi-transparent. It acts like goggles and helps them see clearly beneath the water.
* When Osprey carry their prey, they always reposition the fish so that its head faces forward in a streamlined position for transporting through the air.

No matter where you live in the world, chances are you live near an Osprey. Similar to the Peregrine Falcon, Ospreys are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica. They live in both temperate and tropical climates, but they do have some specific habitat requirements. Because they are principally fish eaters, they like to remain close to still or slow-moving body of water. Ospreys can be found near oceans, rivers, lakes, mangroves, coastal wetlands, lagoons, reefs, estuaries and marshes. If you find yourself near a body of water, pay close attention. You may see an Osprey hovering in the air in search of prey, making a complete dive into the water, or conspicuously perched on a telephone pole or other high perch.

When the weather turns cold enough to freeze over rivers and lakes, there is little for an Osprey to feed on. So, populations living in the far north migrate long distances in the winter, traveling as far south as Central America, South America, and northern Africa. Though Osprey generally nest in high places, such as trees, power poles, or cliffs, they have been known to nest on rocky promontories, offshore stacks of rocks, or even on the ground. When it comes to building nests, few birds of prey can keep up with an Osprey. They build some of the largest nests and use some of the most interesting materials. Though they start off with the basics – large sticks piled together to create a strong foundation – they line the nests with seaweed, bark, leaves, grass, or any other materials they can find, from fishing nets to plastic bottles. Osprey re-use the same nest from year to year. Every season, both the adult male and female add new material to the nest. As you can imagine, over time, some nest structures reach enormous sizes!

The female usually lays 2-4 eggs, which are white with bold reddish-brown and dark brown spots and blotches. Both the male and female work hard to care for their young. The female incubates the eggs and then feeds the chicks after they hatch, while the male’s job is to bring fish to feed his family when the chicks are small. After the young fledge, they stay with their parents for two or three more months while they learn how to survive on their own.