Fish Hawk
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
The osprey, also known as the fish hawk, is
the continent’s only raptor that eats almost
exclusively live fish.
Hunting Adaptations
u Dense, oily plumage
u Large feet and talons
u Scaly soles
u Reversible outer toe
Half-Cracker Waterward Photography & Images
Identification
u Plumage is brown above and
white below
u Whitish head and a dark eye stripe
u Wings are long and pointed
u Legs are stout and heavily scaled
Building a Nest
u Base of large sticks-lined with seaweed, bark, leaves and grass; just about anything
u Nests in trees, channel markers,
power poles, platform signs, or rooftops
u Same nest re-used each season
clutch size is 2-4 eggs
u Eggs are creamy color with
reddish-brown spots
Juvenile
u Fairly similar to the adult
u Head is more darkly streaked
u White tips on feathers
u Bright orange eyes
Photo by Ed Schulz courtesy of USGS
Call of the Wild
Male vs Female
u Sexes are difficult to distinguish
u Adult females are usually larger
than males in size
u Adult females have fuller, darker
breast-bands nicknamed
“necklace of brown feathers”
Scan the QR code to hear
the call of the osprey
Often mistaken
for a bald eagle
To learn more about wildlife and conservation, please visit the Free “Ding” Darling Visitor/Education Center
Open 7 days a week
Located on Sanibel Captiva Rd,
just past Mile Marker 2
Reproduction
u Begin breeding at age 3
u Generally monogamous and mate for life
u In courtship males perform a
“fish fight” where they give a
screaming call and dangle
their legs, often holding a fish,
over nest site
Cool Facts
l
Ospreys live on every continent
except Antartica
l
Dark eye stripe reduces glare
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Scaly soles on feet are called
spicules
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An osprey lines up its catch head first for less wind resistance