---
title: "Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "The fish-hawk that hovers over water, then plunges feet first to grab a fish in its talons."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/osprey-1.webp"
published: "2026-10-05"
updated: "2026-10-11"
---
# Osprey (*Pandion haliaetus*)
> **Status**: Checked against 5 sources, listed under Sources below.
> **Tagline**: The fish-hawk that hovers over water, then plunges feet first to grab a fish in its talons.
> **Soundtrack Vibe**: Post-Rock & Cinematic Orchestral // Slint, "Good Morning, Captain"
> **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/1BNZMXjqqULiV0DmFU1B8S)
> **Vibe Match**: An osprey pauses to hover over the water, then drops feet-first onto a fish. Post-rock is built the same way: a long, suspended build, then the crash.
## Biological Superpowers & Stats
- **Taxonomy**: *Pandion haliaetus*
- **Danger Level**: Low
- **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2022-1.rlts.t22694938a210525184.en))
- **Superpower**: A reversible outer toe and spiny footpads for gripping slippery fish
- **Habitat**: Rivers, lakes and coasts almost worldwide, wherever fish are plentiful
- **Diet**: Almost entirely fish
- **Tags**: bird, raptor-bird, freshwater, ocean, carnivore, migratory
## Natural History & Behavior
## Hover, then plunge
The osprey is a fish-hawk, and its hunting move is a plunge. Its diet is almost entirely fish. It flies slowly over the water and pauses to hover when it spots a fish below. If the fish is close enough to the surface, the osprey drops feet-first and grasps its prey in its talons. Just before it hits the water, it swings its legs forward and bends its wings back. Then it lifts off with strong, almost horizontal wing beats, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet. The Bald Eagle sometimes chases an osprey and forces it to drop its catch.
## Built for slippery prey
An osprey has relatively long legs for a raptor, which is a bird of prey, and long, sharp, curved claws. It also has dense oily plumage and efficient nasal valves that stop water entering its nostrils when it dives.
> **Grip gear** An osprey has spiny footpads called spicules and a reversible outer toe to aid in gripping slippery fish.
## Size, weight and lifespan
Audubon's North American field guide gives an osprey's length as 54 to 58 cm, with a wingspan of 1.5 to 1.8 m. Its weight is 1.4 to 2 kg. Female ospreys are 20% heavier than males on average, according to ADW, though not necessarily longer. Tropical and subtropical ospreys tend to be smaller than those that breed at higher latitudes. AnAge lists a maximum longevity of 32 years in the wild.
## Nearly worldwide
The osprey is one of six landbird species known to breed in every biogeographical region of the world except Antarctica. Nests are usually on top of large trees, and also on utility poles and other structures. A pair uses the same nest year after year, repairing it and adding material before eggs can be laid. The male brings fish, and the female feeds them to the young. In North America, some ospreys are permanent residents in southern Florida, while the rest migrate, and migrants travel singly, not in flocks.
A 2015 genetic study of two mitochondrial genes found the osprey structured into four genetic groups in mostly separate regions: Indo-Australasia, Europe and Africa, the Americas, and north-east Asia.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### Do ospreys ever eat anything besides fish?
Rarely. Fish make up at least 99% of an osprey's prey items, but ospreys have also been seen eating birds, snakes, voles, squirrels, salamanders and even a small alligator. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())*
### How often does an osprey catch a fish when it dives?
Ospreys catch fish on 24 to 74% of their dives, according to ADW, and the rate is affected by individual ability, weather and tide. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())*
### Do ospreys need to drink water?
Not generally. Fish flesh supplies enough water to meet their needs. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())*
### Are ospreys endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List rates the osprey Least Concern. Audubon adds that pesticides seriously endangered it in the mid-20th century, and that since DDT and related pesticides were banned in 1972 it has made a good comeback in many parts of North America. *(Source: [National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds]())*
## Sources
1. [Osprey. National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds.]()
2. [Pandion haliaetus (osprey). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]()
3. [AnAge entry for Pandion haliaetus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.]()
4. [Monti et al. (2015). Being cosmopolitan: evolutionary history and phylogeography of a specialized raptor, the Osprey Pandion haliaetus. BMC Evolutionary Biology.]()
5. [Westrip et al. (2022). Pandion haliaetus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T22694938A210525184.]()
*Published October 5, 2026. Last updated October 11, 2026.*
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