The Osprey sometimes
known as the sea hawk, fish eagle, or fish hawk, is a fish-eating
bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length
and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and
predominantly greyish on the head and underparts, with a black eye patch and
wings. In 1994, the osprey was declared the provincial bird of Nova Scotia , Canada
The Osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location
near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all
continents except Antarctica, although in South America
it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant.
As its other common name suggests, the Osprey's diet consists almost
exclusively of fish. It possesses specialized physical characteristics and
exhibits unique behavior to assist in hunting and catching prey. As a result of
these unique characteristics, it has been given its own family.
The Osprey is the second most widely distributed raptor species, after the Peregrine
Falcon. It has a worldwide distribution and is found in temperate and tropical
regions of all continents except Antarctica .
In North America it breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to the Gulf
Coast and Florida ,
wintering further south from the southern United
States through to Argentina
The Osprey breeds near freshwater lakes, and sometimes on coastal brackish
waters. The nest is a large heap of sticks, driftwood and seaweed built in
forks of trees, rocky outcrops, utility poles, artificial platforms or offshore
islets. Generally, Ospreys reach sexual maturity and begin breeding around the
age of three to four, though in some regions with high Osprey densities, they
may not start breeding until five to seven years old, and there may be a
shortage of suitable tall structures. If there are no nesting sites available,
young Ospreys may be forced to delay breeding. To ease this problem, posts are
sometimes erected to provide more sites suitable for nest building.
Ospreys usually mate for life. Rarely, polyandry has been recorded. The
breeding season varies according to latitude. In spring the pair begins a
five-month period of partnership to raise their young. The female lays two to
four eggs within a month, and relies on the size of the nest to conserve heat.
The eggs are whitish with bold splotches of reddish-brown and are about 6.2 by
4.5 cm (2.4 by 1.8 in) and weigh about 65 g (2.3 oz). The eggs are incubated
for about 5 weeks to hatching.
The newly hatched chicks weigh only 50–60 g (1.8–2.1 oz), but fledge in
8–10 weeks. When food is scarce, the first chicks to hatch are most likely to
survive. The typical lifespan is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can grow
to as old as 20–25 years. The oldest European wild osprey on record lived to be
over thirty years of age. In North America Bubo
owls and Bald Eagles (and possibly other eagles of comparable size) are the
only major predators of both nests and sub adults.
You can often find Osprey flying around and fishing in many of the lakes
and streams we visit on our workshops with North of 49 Photography. www.northof49photography.com
Please check out our workshops and contact us if you see anything that
interests you.
Kev
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