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Ospreys

To make it easier to picture the osprey in the wild, browse the images below.

 

Ospreys (pandion haliaetus) can be found around the world where there is a body of freshwater or saltwater with a concentration of fish near the surface. Since they can only dive three feet down in the water, they prefer shallow water or water where fish tend to school at the surface. Also known as the fish hawk or sea hawk, the osprey ranges in the Americas from Alaska and northern Canada all the way down to northern Argentina in South America, migrating long distances during cold weather to reach warmer climates.

Ospreys, like owls, are the only raptors with a reversible outer toe that allows them to grip prey with two toes forward and two backward. The osprey also has barbed pads on the soles of its feet that help them hold onto slippery fish and other prey. Unlike other hawks, they have closeable nostrils that allow them to dive underwater.

Ninety nine percent of their diet is live fish with the rest made up of small animals. They are very successful hunters, spending an average of twelve minutes before making an attack and being successful on an average of 25 percent of the time, with success sometines as high a 70 percent.

High View

An osprey rests on a branch on the Lake Apopka North Shore Wildlife Drive in Orange County, Florida.

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Crested Osprey

An osprey rests on a wire feeds on a catfish on the Lake Apopka North Shore Wildlife Drive in Orange County, Florida.

Ospreys (pandion haliaetus) can be found around the world where there is a body of freshwater or saltwater with a concentration of fish near the surface. Since they can only dive three feet down in the water, they prefer shallow water or water where fish tend to school at the surface. Also known as the fish hawk or sea hawk, the osprey ranges in the Americas from Alaska and northern Canada all the way down to northern Argentina in South America, migrating long distances during cold weather to reach warmer climates.​

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Osprey On A Post

An osprey rests on a post beside the Lake Apopka North Shore Wildlife Drive in Orange County, Florida.

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Wind Swept View

An osprey rests on the top of a dead tree beside the Lake Apopka North Shore Wildlife Drive in Oange County,k Florida.

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Soaring Osprey

An Osprey searches for prey over Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Lake Park.

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Riding The Currents

An osprey rides the currents above Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Laqke Park.

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Osprey Nest

An osprey nest sitting in the top of a large cypress tree in Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Lake Park.

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Sharing Of The Fish

A pair of ospreys sharing a fresh fish withj their offspring in their nest in the top of a tall cypress tree in Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Lake Park.

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Cypress Tree Nest

An osprey sitting on its nest in a tall cypress tree in Tampa, Florida's Lettuce Lake Park.

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An Osprey Pair

A pair of ospreys watch over their nest in the top of a large cypress tree in Tampa, Florida;s Lettuce Lake Park.

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Territorial Discussion

Two ospreys pester each other by flying too close in Florida's Homeymoon Island State Park.

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Dining Osprey

An osprey eats a fish it caught in Florida's Honeymoon Island State Park, while perched in a tree.

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