Field Guide
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Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Not yet photographed by the community
Fish-hunting raptor; a spectacular conservation comeback.
Species Profile
Amber List (breeding population recovering but still of conservation concern); reintroduced successfully to England after extinction in the 1840s.
- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in the wild, with some individuals recorded living over 25 years
- Size & Weight
- 50–66 cm long, wingspan 145–170 cm; 1.2–2.0 kg (females larger than males)
- Habitat
- Large freshwater and coastal lakes, lochs, and river systems with clear water and abundant fish populations, typically near mature trees for nesting.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeder across Scotland, northern England, Wales, and occasional southern England; returns March–April and departs August–September. Rare in winter.
- Diet
- Exclusively fish-eating; catches live fish by diving and plunging talons into water with remarkable precision.
- Prey
- Trout, pike, perch, roach, and other freshwater fish weighing 100–500 g; occasionally saltwater fish in coastal areas.
- Predators
- Golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, and occasionally foxes or mink may take eggs or young; adult ospreys rarely predated upon.
- Mating Season
- April to August
- Breeding
- Clutch of 2–3 eggs; incubation period 35–37 days; fledging at 48–59 days; typically one brood per year. Both parents provision chicks.
- Behaviour
- Highly specialised fish hunter that hovers above water before plunging dramatically to catch prey. Monogamous and highly territorial, with pairs often returning to the same nest site and partner for multiple years. Remarkable migrants, wintering in West Africa.
- •Ospreys were hunted to extinction in the UK by the 1840s but have been successfully reintroduced, with the first modern British nesting pair returning to Loch Garten, Scotland in 1954.
- •Their outer toe is reversible, allowing them to grip slippery fish with two toes pointing forward and two backward—unique among most UK raptors.
- •An osprey's eyes are positioned to see into water and compensate for surface glare, giving them exceptional underwater vision.
- •Young ospreys undertake a remarkable solo migration to West Africa without parental guidance, navigating using innate directional sense.
- •A single osprey pair can consume over 200 fish per year, making them indicator species for healthy fish populations in freshwater ecosystems.
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