Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
The osprey (; Pandion haliaetus), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range.
About the Osprey
The osprey (; Pandion haliaetus), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and a wingspan of 180 cm (71 in). It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts. The osprey is distributed on all continents except Antarctica, but in South America, it occurs only as a nonbreeding migrant. It lives in a wide variety of habitats and nests in locations near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It has specialised physical characteristics and unique behaviour in hunting its prey, which consists almost exclusively of fish.
Fun Facts About Osprey
- The osprey is distributed on all continents except Antarctica, but in South America, it occurs only as a nonbreeding migrant.
- It lives in a wide variety of habitats and nests in locations near a body of water providing an adequate food supply.
- It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and a wingspan of 180 cm (71 in).
- It has specialised physical characteristics and unique behaviour in hunting its prey, which consists almost exclusively of fish.
Conservation Status
The Osprey is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Pandionidae |
| Genus | Pandion |
| Species | Pandion haliaetus |
Range & Habitat
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