Osprey
The Osprey
- Pandion haliaetus - is found on all continents except Antarctica. There are four subspecies of the osprey, each
occupying a different part of its overall range and differing slightly in size
and appearance: Pandion haliaetus haliaetus, P. h. carolinensis, P.
h. cristatus and P. h. ridgwayi. It tolerates a wide variety of
habitats and is typically found near still or slow-flowing water, including
both salt water and fresh water, and thus occurs in a wide variety of habitats
such as lakes, rivers, wooded swamps with open water, and shorelines, from
cliffs to salt-flats.
Description
The upperparts
are a deep, glossy brown, while the breast is white and sometimes streaked with
brown, and the underparts are pure white. The head is white with a dark mask
across the eyes, reaching to the sides of the neck. The irises are golden to
brown, and the transparent nictitating membrane is pale blue. The bill is
black, with a blue cere and the feet are white with black talons. A short tail
and long, narrow wings, give it a very distinctive appearance. The sexes fairly
similar. The juvenile is fairly similar to the adult but the head is more
darkly-streaked and the upperparts appear scaled with cream and pale rufous.
Call
Ospreys have
high-pitched, whistling voices. Their calls can be given as a slow succession
of chirps during flight or as an alarm call—or strung together into a series
that rises in intensity and then falls away. A series of sharp whistles,
described as cheep, cheep or yewk, yewk.
Food
Fish make up 99%
of the diet. They occasionally prey on rodents, hares, amphibians, birds and
small reptiles. Ospreys have vision that is well adapted to detecting underwater
objects from the air and are well adapted to the mainly fish diet, with
reversible outer toes, sharp spicules on the underside of the toes, closable
nostrils to keep out water during dives, and backwards-facing scales on the
talons which act as barbs to help hold its catch.
Breeding
Ospreys usually
mate for life and begin breeding around the age of three to four years. The Platform
nest is built with sticks, lined with bark and grasses. The female lays two to
four whitish eggs, with bold splotches of reddish-brown. Incubation takes about
5 weeks and the chicks fledge in about 69 days after hatching.
Conservation Status – Least concern
They have an
exceptionally large range, however there is evidence for regional declines
around the world. These majestic birds have rebounded in numbers following the
ban on the pesticide DDT in North America. Ospreys
are a conservation success story and their populations are still growing, aided
by pesticide bans and the construction of artificial nest sites in North America.
Birdwatching
Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to
create a custom tour for you to see these majestic birds of prey or book one of the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures in summer:
-
Aves Eastern Cape Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari /
Adventure.
Aves KZN Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves North East
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves Western Cape Birding
Tour / Safari / Adventure.
Aves West Coast
Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.