Osprey

Pandion haliaetus · The osprey is a large fish-eating bird of prey that lives on every continent except Antarctica, nesting near water.

Also called Western osprey, Fish hawk, Sea hawk, River hawk.

Osprey
Photo: El Golli Mohamed, CC BY-SA 4.0
Osprey
Photo: RoySmith, CC BY-SA 4.0
Osprey
Photo: Chuck Homler / Focus On Wildlife, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderAccipitriformes
FamilyPandionidae
GenusPandion
SpeciesPandion haliaetus

Where it lives

Near water on every continent except Antarctica; many winter in the tropics.

Fun facts

  • Ospreys can swing their outer toes around, so they grip slippery fish with two toes in front and two behind.
  • About 99% of an osprey's diet is fish.
  • When an osprey dives, it adjusts its flight angle to make up for the way water bends the image of the fish.
  • Ospreys can close their nostrils to keep water out during dives, and their oily feathers help stop them getting waterlogged.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).