Species

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

A fish-hawk that plunges feet first into the water, nesting on channel markers and platforms along Georgia's coast and lakes.

Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 54 to 58 cm long; wingspan about 1.5 to 1.8 m
Weight: About 1.4 to 2 kg
Habitat: Coasts, rivers, lakes and reservoirs
Diet: Fish, almost exclusively
In Georgia: Common in summer on the coast and at lakes; a few winter
Voice: A high, whistled "cheep-cheep-cheep"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Brown above, white below; white head with a dark stripe through the eye; long, narrow wings bent at the wrist in an "M" shape
Told apart from: Bald eagle, which is darker below with a white head and tail as an adult
Where to look: Over water, and on large stick nests on channel markers, towers and poles

Behaviour

Ospreys hover over water, then dive feet first to grab fish in their talons, which have rough pads and a reversible outer toe for gripping. They carry fish head first to reduce drag.

Why they matter

Ospreys were devastated by DDT in the mid-1900s, and their comeback since it was banned is one of conservation's great successes. They eat only fish, so their health reflects that of rivers, lakes and estuaries.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A large pile of sticks on a tree, pole, tower or channel marker, reused and added to each year
Eggs — Usually two to four
Incubation — About 36 to 42 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about seven to eight weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over twenty-five years are recorded

Living around people

Nesting platforms give ospreys safe alternatives to power poles.
Fishing line woven into nests entangles chicks; it should never be left where birds can collect it.

Misconceptions

Ospreys are eagles. They are in a family of their own.
An osprey fighting a bald eagle is defending its nest. Often the eagle is stealing its fish.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	A few wintering	Returning to nests	Nesting	Incubating	Chicks	Chicks	Young fledging	Young flying	Migrating south	Last birds leaving	In South America	A few wintering in Georgia

Where it lives

Recorded in 93 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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