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Osprey Pandion Haliaetus1
Size:50-66 cm in length with a 127-180 cm wingspan.
The wing chord: 38-52 cm
The tail: 16.5-24 cm
The tarsus: 5.2-6.6 cm
Weight:0.9-2.1 kg.

Osprey

(Pandion haliaetus)

Description:
The osprey is a bird of prey found on all continents except Antarctica. It is dark brown on the upper side, and more greyish white on the belly and head. The osprey has many different names; some people call them fish hawk, sea hawk or sea eagle. Its wingspan is up to 180 centimeters.

Did you know...?

There is a medieval belief that fish were so mesmerized by the osprey that they turned belly‐up in surrender.

Diet:
Ospreys almost exclusively feed on fish, which they spot by circling between 10 and 30 meters above the water surface.

Habitat:
The osprey lives in temperate climates as well as in tropical environments. Since its main diet is fish, it is always found next to water like lakes, large rivers or sea coasts. It occurs up to an altitude of 800 meter above sea level.

Reproduction:
The Osprey breeds near freshwater lakes and rivers. The nest consists of a large pile of sticks, driftwood and seaweed. Most often a Y‐shaped tree fork, rocks or even offshore islands are chosen as nesting sites. Male and female Osprey mate for life. The female lays 2 to 4 eggs and relies on the nest to conserve the heat.

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