The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium to large-sized diurnal bird of prey belonging to the Pandionidae family, of which it is the sole member. It is globally recognized for its specialization in fishing, earning it the nickname "Master of the Waters."
This singular bird, found on almost all continents except Antarctica, is a specialized piscivore, capable of spotting its prey from the air and diving spectacularly to catch them with its powerful, adapted talons. Its Latin name haliaetus, from ancient Greek meaning "sea eagle," refers to its affinity for water.
Length: 50 to 60 cm (19.7 to 23.6 in) (some reports indicate up to 70 cm / 27.6 in).
Wingspan: 140 to 190 cm (55 to 75 in) (females are generally larger than males).
Weight: 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs) to 2.2 kg (4.9 lbs) (females are more imposing, averaging 1.6 kg / 3.5 lbs compared to 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs for males).
The Osprey is classified as "Least Concern" (LC) by the IUCN globally, although some local populations, such as in mainland France, are still considered "Vulnerable" due to their history of decline and ongoing conservation efforts.
Our Ornithologist's Advice
By the Les-Oiseaux.com Team, published November 6, 2025.
My personal advice: Observing an Osprey in action is an unforgettable spectacle! This raptor is a true fishing expert, and with the right tips, you'll maximize your chances of witnessing its prowess:
Target clear, fish-rich waters: The Osprey is exclusively piscivorous. It favors large lakes, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters where the water is clear enough for it to spot its prey. Look for bodies of water with fish swimming near the surface.
Spot its characteristic flight: In flight, the Osprey has a very distinctive silhouette: its wings are long and narrow, often held in an "M" shape or a shallow arc, with prominent black "wrist" markings. It frequently soars at a height of 10 to 50 meters (30 to 160 feet) above the water, head down, searching for fish.
Pay attention to the dive: This is the key moment! When it spots prey, it may hover briefly before diving, talons first, and disappearing almost entirely beneath the water's surface in a large splash. It then emerges with the fish, which it reorients head-first to reduce air resistance.
Look for high nests: Ospreys build enormous stick nests atop tall, isolated trees, on cliffs, or on artificial platforms (e.g., power pylons). These nests are often reused year after year and can serve as good observation points.
Listen for its calls during breeding season: Although generally silent, the Osprey becomes more vocal during nesting, emitting a series of sharp whistles to communicate with its mate or young, or when disturbed.
The Osprey's ability to adapt and thrive in diverse aquatic environments makes it a fascinating testament to the vitality of our ecosystems. Its presence is always good news!
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Identification
The Osprey is a powerful raptor with a slender body and an aerodynamic silhouette, perfectly adapted to its piscivorous lifestyle.
Plumage: Adults have a dark brown back and upperwings, contrasting sharply with the brilliant white underparts, head, and neck. A more or less distinct dark pectoral band is visible on the white chest. The flight feathers and "wrists" are black.
Head: Relatively slender and pale, dominated by a very distinctive black mask. This dark band extends from the base of the beak, crosses the eye, and reaches the back, giving it a "pirate-like" appearance. The forehead and cheeks are white.
Eyes: Yellow, with a darker, orangish iris in juveniles.
Beak: Long and hooked, blackish in color, sometimes grayish-blue at the base.
Legs and Talons: Its legs are quite long and unfeathered (unlike many eagles). The toes are elongated and end in long, strongly curved talons, with spicules (barbs) at the base of each claw, acting like a fishhook barb to prevent the fish from slipping. A unique feature is its reversible outer toe, which allows it to grasp its prey with two toes forward and two toes backward, ensuring a better grip.
Tail: Short and square, streaked with grey and blackish edges.
Juvenile: Resembles adults, but the brown feathers of the upperparts are edged with whitish, and the streaks on the chest and head are more pronounced. Its iris is darker, orangish.
Silhouette and Flight: In flight, its wings are long, narrow, and pointed, often held in an "M" shape or a shallow arc, with clearly visible black "wrists." It displays four fingered primary feathers (resembling fingers). It is an excellent glider, capable of long flapping flights and hovering before diving.
Scientific Dimensions and Records (Osprey)
Characteristic
Male
Female
Average / Record
Length
50 – 60 cm (19.7 – 23.6 in)
50 – 60 cm (19.7 – 23.6 in)
50 – 70 cm (19.7 – 27.6 in)
Wingspan
Average 159 cm (62.6 in)
Average 163 cm (64.2 in)
127 – 190 cm (50 – 75 in)
Weight
1.2 – 1.4 kg (2.6 – 3.1 lbs)
1.5 – 2.2 kg (3.3 – 4.9 lbs)
1.1 – 2.2 kg (2.4 – 4.9 lbs)
Lifespan
15 – 20 years
15 – 20 years
Record of 35 years
Dive Depth
Up to 40 m (130 ft) (exceptionally 200 m / 650 ft in the sea)
Up to 40 m (130 ft) (exceptionally 200 m / 650 ft in the sea)
Dives up to 40 m (130 ft)
These figures attest to the Osprey's efficiency as an aquatic predator, capable of exploiting a wide range of prey and surviving for many years.
Not to be confused with...
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
The Bald Eagle is a very large eagle, significantly more imposing than the Osprey. Although it also lives near water and can feed on fish, its plumage is different: adults are generally brown with a paler head and a very characteristic white tail. In flight, its wings are broad and rectangular, and its massive head and neck are prominent.
The Common Buzzard is a raptor similar in size to an Osprey but with a stockier silhouette, broader wings, and a shorter tail. Its plumage is extremely variable, ranging from very dark brown to almost white, but it never has the distinct black mask and white breastplate of the Osprey. Its hunting method is also different, primarily targeting small mammals and birds on the ground, and its flight is not as "angled."
The Osprey is generally not very noisy outside the breeding season. However, it becomes more vocal when on its nesting territory, to communicate with its mate or young, or when alarmed.
Its calls can include:
Contact and Alarm Calls: It emits a series of sharp whistles or calls, often transcribed as "chew-wit, chew-wit" or "kyew, kyew," which can become more piercing and insistent if disturbed or to encourage the male to fish.
Nest Calls: At the nest, young and female Ospreys may emit calls to demand food.
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Habitat and Distribution of the Osprey
The Osprey is one of the most widely distributed raptors in the world, its range covering the boreal and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, Central America, much of Asia to the Pacific Ocean, and the coasts of Australia. It is absent from polar regions and some isolated oceanic islands.
It is mainly found in:
Wetlands: It frequents large rivers, freshwater lakes, reservoirs, marshes, coastal lagoons, and marine coasts, always near clear, fish-rich waters.
High nesting sites: It builds its impressive stick nests on tall, isolated trees (pines, poplars, oaks), on rocky cliffs (as in Corsica), or on artificial structures like dedicated platforms or power pylons.
Northern populations are migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, or the Indian subcontinent and the South Pacific. Some populations, notably in the Balearic Islands and Corsica, may be sedentary or erratic within the Mediterranean basin.
Distribution Map
Year-round Presence (Resident)
Breeding Area
Non-breeding (Wintering) Area
Passage Area (Migration)
Diet
The Osprey is a hyper-specialized carnivorous predator, whose diet consists almost exclusively of fish (99% fish). It is remarkably efficient, with a success rate of 25 to 70% of its attacks, sometimes as high as 9 out of 10.
It primarily feeds on:
Fish: A wide variety of freshwater and saltwater fish species, typically measuring 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in) long (25 cm / 10 in on average) and weighing from 50 g (1.8 oz) to 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) (250 g / 8.8 oz on average). It seeks slow-moving fish near the surface, such as carp, pike, tench, bream, mullet, flounder, pollock, or smelt.
Its hunting technique is spectacular: it spots its prey from a soaring or hovering flight at a height of 10 to 50 meters (30 to 160 ft), then dives, talons first, to snatch them from below the water's surface in an impressive splash. It uses its powerful talons and spicules to firmly hold its prey. Once the fish is caught, it reorients it head-first to optimize its flight and reduce air resistance. Cases of Ospreys drowning after catching fish that are too heavy or getting their talons stuck are known, but are exceptional.
Reproduction
The Osprey is a faithful species, with pairs often remaining bonded for life and reusing the same nest year after year. Sexual maturity is reached around three years of age.
Nest: Nests are voluminous structures made of dead branches, twigs, grass, leaves, and moss, accumulated over the years. They can measure 1 to 1.5 meters (3.3 to 4.9 ft) in diameter. Nests are built high up on trees (pines, poplars, oaks, often dead or isolated), on rocky cliffs, or on artificial structures like dedicated platforms or power pylons.
Courtship Display: The breeding season begins with the return of the birds to nesting sites from late February to April. Males and females engage in aerial displays.
Eggs: The female typically lays 2 to 3 eggs (rarely 1 or 4) of a cream-white color, spotted with reddish-brown, between late March and May, with a two-day interval between each egg.
Incubation: Incubation lasts approximately 34 to 40 days (35-37 days on average) and is mainly carried out by the female, with the male responsible for supplying food and occasionally relieving her on the nest.
Raising the Young: Chicks remain in the nest for about 50 to 59 days after hatching before taking their first flight, generally in early July. After fledging, the young continue to be fed by the parents for over a month, gradually learning to hunt. In late August, they leave the natal territory to begin their migration. Ospreys exhibit philopatry, with young often returning near their birthplace to breed from the age of three.
Conservation Status
The Osprey is classified as "Least Concern" (LC) by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) globally (last assessed in 2018) and in Europe (2015). This classification reflects its very wide global distribution and a generally stable or moderately increasing global population, estimated between 50,000 and 500,000 adults in Canada.
However, this global status masks significant past declines and persistent local threats:
Organochlorine Pesticides (DDT): The widespread use of pesticides like DDT after World War II caused a drastic drop in populations in North America and Europe. These substances led to eggshell thinning and nest abandonment. The ban on DDT in the 1970s was crucial for the species' recovery.
Hunting and Persecution: Historically, the Osprey has been hunted and persecuted by fishermen or fish farmers due to its diet. Although legally protected in many regions (such as France since 1972), shooting is still sometimes a threat, especially in its wintering grounds in South America.
Habitat Degradation: Although adaptable, the degradation or loss of its aquatic habitats and nesting sites can locally affect populations.
Toxic Pollutants: Monitoring Osprey populations serves as an indicator of the persistence of toxic contaminants and the health of aquatic ecosystems.
Climate Change: Climate change could influence fish behavior, making them less accessible on the surface and thus harder to catch.
Conservation efforts, including legal protection (Annex II of the Bonn Convention, Annex II of CITES, Annex I of the EU Birds Directive), monitoring of nesting areas, reintroduction, and the proliferation of nest boxes and artificial platforms, have led to a significant expansion of populations in many regions. In mainland France, the breeding population is still considered "Vulnerable" but shows a trend of increasing numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to identify the Osprey?
The Osprey is a medium to large-sized raptor characterized by a dark brown back and brilliant white underparts. Its head is white with a distinctive black band crossing the eye, like a mask. Its wings are long, narrow, and angled in flight, often held in an 'M' shape or a shallow arc. Its talons are powerful, with spicules under the toes and a reversible outer toe, perfectly adapted for catching fish. The female is generally larger and may have a more pronounced pectoral band than the male.
Where does the Osprey live?
The Osprey is a cosmopolitan species, found on all continents except Antarctica. It primarily frequents fish-rich wetlands, such as lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastlines, where the waters are clear. It nests on large trees, rocky cliffs, or artificial platforms, sometimes even on power pylons. Northern populations are migratory and winter in Africa, Central and South America, or the South Pacific, while other populations may be sedentary in more temperate regions.
What does the Osprey eat?
The Osprey is an almost exclusively piscivorous raptor, with fish making up about 99% of its diet. It hunts by flying over water, spotting its prey (typically 10 to 50 cm / 4 to 20 inches long) from a height of 10 to 50 meters (30 to 160 feet), then diving, talons first, to snatch them from below the surface. It can catch fish up to 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs), but excessively heavy prey can sometimes drown it.
