Steve's Osprey Page

Osprey Natural History:

The osprey is also known as a fish hawk because its diet is made up almost exclusively of live fish. When a osprey spots a potential meal it often "stalls" in mid air before plunging to the water. The osprey enters the water feet first, often completely submerging, surfacing with the fish in its talons.

Ospreys found in tropical climates like southern Florida and California are permanent residents; they do not leave in the fall. Those that have breeding grounds further north, which extend well into Canada, will start their migration to Central and South America in early fall. Ospreys generally pair for life and return to the same nest each year.

Shortly after they begin flying, the young also head south for the winter. However the yearlings do not fly back the first spring, rather they spend the next year and a half in their winter grounds. When the young birds do take part in the spring migration they return to an area very near where they were reared. However, they do not attempt to breeding until they reach three to five years of age.

This series of photographs depict the typical activity around the nest from spring until the young have fledged. Not all pics were taken at the same nest nor were they all taken during the same season. My purpose here is to use photographs to depict the progression that takes place every year: from nest building that occurs in the spring to fledging of the young prior to the southern migration in the fall.

		Ospreys are, to a degree, tolerant of humans. They are also opportunists. When there are no tall trees available for nesting, they will build nests on a variety of artificial structures such as electrical or microwave towers, telephone poles, navigation buoys, or man made platforms built especially to attract osprey. They build large nests mostly from sticks. Once the eggs are laid the female does most of the sitting; however, the male will occasionally take over to permit the female to hunt.
		Once the eggs hatch, the male provides virtually all the food. The male will often stop at a perch, before returning to the nest, and eat a portion of the fish (most often the head). Eventually the male delivers the fish to the nest.
		While the chicks are still young, the female tears off each piece of the fish and places it in the chicks mouth. When food is scares there is competitions among the chicks; usually the chicks that hatch earliest are bigger and more aggressive.
		In the mid-Atlantic region the average size of each brood is two (from 3-4 eggs). This particular year the food supply must have been plentiful (left photo). All three chicks ended up fledging. Adult osprey have yellow eyes. The chicks have orange eyes (right picture).
		As the chicks begin to fledge they no longer spend all their time hunkered down in the nest. They walk to the edge of the nest and exercise their wings. Two to three birds, with 5 to 6 foot wing spans, in a 5 foot nest is a crowded place. At this stage the parents begin to withhold food to encourage flight.

Visit Steve Fredrick Photography.

Visit Steve's Eagle Page

Or if you came from there and want to return to the Raptors Page.

I'd like to here your comments. Send me an email.