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6

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Alternate name(s): "White-headed Osprey", "Fish hawk", "Fish eagle", "Sea hawk", "River hawk" Size: 52-60 cm; wing span: 1.45-1.7 m Weight: 1.1-2.0 kg

Oman: Family Group 6 Family Group 6 Table Egyptian Vulture Lappet-faced Vulture Bonelli's Eagle Osprey Pallid Harrier Black Kite Peregrine Falcon Common Kestrel Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Ospreys are medium-sized birds of prey. Their overall appearance is greyish-brown, with a light grey front (throat, belly, vent) and brownish dark-grey back (mantle, wings, uppertail). The face has prominent grey eye stripes around eyes with yellow irises. The underwing pattern is scalloped light-grey (leading edge) to mid-grey (flight feathers) to dark grey (alulas and tips of primaries). The bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are grey, with dark-grey talons. The sexes are hard to distinguish, but in breeding pairs the difference is noticeable - female Ospreys have a more pronounced breast band than males. Juvenile Ospreys have a heavier chest band than adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Osprey at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Note that former race "cristatus" has now been given full species status, as the Eastern Osprey (Pandion cristatus).

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Osprey is available HERE . Ospreys are a global species that are found on all continents (except Australia, where they are replaced by the very closely related Eastern Osprey, Pandion cristatus, and Antarctica). There are two, possibly three, recognized races. Nominate race "haliaetus" breeds in eastern Scandinavia, from the Baltic states all through mid-latitude Eurasia to the base of the Korean peninsula, Japan and Kamchatka. There are also a few scattered locations in Europe where Ospreys can be found. They winter in South-east Asia, from South China to the Philippines, Thailand and Burma to Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia. Farther West, the winter grounds are on the entire Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka, and via Pakistan all the way around the Gulf of Arabia to the North coast of Oman. Additional winter grounds are located all around the Red Sea and throughout Africa South of the Sahara desert. Race "carolinensis" breeds in northern North America, from New Fundland via the Great Lakes to southern Alaska. They winter along the American West and East coast, parts of central America and all of northern South America outside the Andes, to a geographic latitude of ca. -30 degrees. Some sources list the sedentary Ospreys of the Caribbean islands as separate race "ridgwayi". In Oman, as elsewhere on the Arabian peninsula, Ospreys are found in coastal areas, primarily along the North coast. Ospreys have a strong preference for aquatic habitats, in which they prey on fish.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "haliaetus" Our first sighting of an Osprey, race "haliaetus", in Oman was on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, in April 2010.

Photos

Race "haliaetus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Osprey on a power pole, seen against diffuse evening sunlight; the bird is being harassed by a House Crow
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Food, Diet

All raptors are carnivores. Ospreys feed on fish, which they can catch up to 1 m below the water surface (in their winter quarters in Oman usually of the sea, not fresh water).

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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