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6

Osprey

(Pandion haliaetus)
Alternate name(s): "White-headed Osprey", "Fish hawk", "Fish eagle", "Sea hawk", "River hawk"
German name(s): "Fischadler"

Size: 52-60 cm; wing span: 1.45-1.7 m
Weight: 1.1-2.0 kg

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Osprey at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "haliaetus"

ADULT

MALE

On average, male Ospreys have less prominent chest bands than females; the near-complete absence of such a band on the bird in this near-frontal view suggests that it may be a male (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view of a male(?) Osprey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]

FEMALE

On average, male Ospreys have less prominent chest bands than females; the very prominent chest band on the bird in this ventral view suggests that it may be a female (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, February 2018]

Sex unknown

Near-frontal/ventral view of an Osprey in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]

Lateral view of an Osprey in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view of an Osprey in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view onto the upperwings of an Osprey in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]

Ventral view of an Osprey in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2013]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Osprey with its prey; note the light-grey edge lining on the wing coverts
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, October 2018]

Additional information

More photos of Ospreys, race "haliaetus", were taken in Oman.

To watch the activities around a pair of Ospreys' aerie in Wales live, click HERE .

Food, Diet

All raptors are carnivores. Ospreys feed on fish, which they can catch up to 1 m below the water surface.

Lateral view of an Osprey carrying away its prey, a big fish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuarly, Portugal, January 2023]

Dorsal view of an Osprey carrying away its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2018]

Dorsal/ventral view of an Osprey carrying away its prey (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, February 2018]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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