Two Osprey seen at Winfield Locks
& Dam, Putnam, US-WV
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.