---
title: "What the sources say about the Osprey | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "47 claims from the Osprey profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/osprey-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/osprey/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Osprey (*Pandion haliaetus*)

> 47 claims from the Osprey profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Osprey](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/osprey/)

## Osprey. National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/osprey

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The fish-hawk that hovers over water, then plunges feet first to grab a fish in its talons | A very distinctive fish-hawk (note: tagline) |
| hovers over water, then plunges feet first to grab a fish in its talons | Flies slowly over water, pausing to hover when fish spotted below; if fish is close enough to surface, the Osprey plunges feet-first, grasping prey in its talons. (note: tagline) |
| Rivers, lakes and coasts almost worldwide, wherever fish are plentiful | Rivers, lakes, and coasts. Found near water, either fresh or salt, where large numbers of fish are present. (note: stats.habitat) |
| almost worldwide | Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide (note: stats.habitat) |
| Almost entirely fish | Almost entirely fish. (note: stats.diet) |
| The osprey is a fish-hawk | A very distinctive fish-hawk |
| It flies slowly over the water and pauses to hover when it spots a fish below | Flies slowly over water, pausing to hover when fish spotted below |
| If the fish is close enough to the surface, the osprey drops feet-first and grasps its prey in its talons | if fish is close enough to surface, the Osprey plunges feet-first, grasping prey in its talons |
| carrying the fish head-forward with its feet | flies away, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet |
| The Bald Eagle sometimes chases an osprey and forces it to drop its catch | The Bald Eagle sometimes chases the Osprey and force them to drop their catch. |
| length as 54 to 58 cm, with a wingspan of 1.5 to 1.8 m | Length: 21–23 in (54–58 cm); wingspan: 5 ft–6 ft (1.5–1.8 m) (note: Audubon's Guide to North American Birds; scope stated in the sentence) |
| Its weight is 1.4 to 2 kg | weight: 3 lb–4 lb 6 oz (1.4–2 kg) |
| Its diet is almost entirely fish | Almost entirely fish. |
| Nests are usually on top of large trees | Nest site is usually on top of large tree (often with dead or broken top) not far from water. |
| and also on utility poles and other structures | Also nests on utility poles, duck blinds, other structures |
| The male brings fish, and the female feeds them to the young | male brings fish, female feeds them to young |
| some ospreys are permanent residents in southern Florida, while the rest migrate | Some Osprey are permanent residents in southern Florida; migratory elsewhere. |
| migrants travel singly, not in flocks | Migrants travel singly, not in flocks |
| 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 | Was seriously endangered by effects of pesticides in mid-20th century; since DDT and related pesticides were banned in 1972, Ospreys have made a good comeback in many parts of North America. |
| Hover, then plunge | pausing to hover when fish spotted below; if fish is close enough to surface, the Osprey plunges feet-first (note: heading) |
| Nearly worldwide | Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide (note: heading) |
| An osprey pauses to hover over the water, then drops feet-first onto a fish | Flies slowly over water, pausing to hover when fish spotted below; if fish is close enough to surface, the Osprey plunges feet-first, grasping prey in its talons. |
| drops feet-first onto a fish | Flies slowly over water, pausing to hover when fish spotted below; if fish is close enough to surface, the Osprey plunges feet-first, grasping prey in its talons. |

## Pandion haliaetus (osprey). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pandion_haliaetus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A reversible outer toe and spiny footpads for gripping slippery fish | spiny footpads called spicules, long, sharp, curved claws, and a reversible outer toe to aid in gripping slippery fish (note: stats.superpower) |
| Just before it hits the water, it swings its legs forward and bends its wings back | Just before hitting the water, the osprey swings its legs forward and bends its wings back, plunging feet-first into the water. |
| Then it lifts off with strong, almost horizontal wing beats | The osprey uses strong, almost horizontal wing beats to lift itself and its prey from the water. |
| An osprey has relatively long legs for a raptor | relatively long legs for a raptor (note: 'which is a bird of prey' is a definition) |
| long, sharp, curved claws | long, sharp, curved claws |
| dense oily plumage and efficient nasal valves that stop water entering its nostrils when it dives | dense oily plumage and efficient nasal valves that prevent water from entering the nostrils when the bird dives to catch a fish |
| An osprey has spiny footpads called spicules and a reversible outer toe to aid in gripping slippery fish | spiny footpads called spicules, long, sharp, curved claws, and a reversible outer toe to aid in gripping slippery fish (note: blockquote) |
| Female ospreys are 20% heavier than males on average, according to ADW, though not necessarily longer | On average, while not necessarily longer, female ospreys are 20% heavier than males |
| Tropical and subtropical ospreys tend to be smaller than those that breed at higher latitudes | Tropical and subtropical individuals tend to be smaller than individuals that breed at higher latitudes. |
| A pair uses the same nest year after year, repairing it and adding material before eggs can be laid | Osprey pairs use the same nest year after year, but must spend some time each year repairing it and adding materials before eggs can be laid. |
| Fish make up at least 99% of an osprey's prey items | Their diet consists almost exclusively of fish (≥99% of prey items). |
| ospreys have also been seen eating birds, snakes, voles, squirrels, salamanders and even a small alligator | ospreys have been observed to eat other foods on occasion. These include birds, snakes, voles, squirrels, muskrats ( Ondatra zibethicus ), salamanders, conchs, and even a small alligator |
| Ospreys catch fish on 24 to 74% of their dives, according to ADW, and the rate is affected by individual ability, weather and tide | Ospreys catch fish on 24 to 74% of their dives. This success rate is affected by individual ability, weather and tide. |
| Fish flesh supplies enough water to meet their needs | Fish flesh supplies sufficient amounts of water to meet their requirements. |
| Not generally | Ospreys do not generally need to drink water. |
| Rarely | Though the vast majority of osprey prey items are live fish, ospreys have been observed to eat other foods on occasion. |
| Built for slippery prey | a reversible outer toe to aid in gripping slippery fish (note: heading) |

## AnAge entry for Pandion haliaetus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Pandion_haliaetus

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| AnAge lists a maximum longevity of 32 years in the wild | Maximum longevity \| 32 years (wild) |

## Monti et al. (2015). Being cosmopolitan: evolutionary history and phylogeography of a specialized raptor, the Osprey Pandion haliaetus. BMC Evolutionary Biology.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0535-6

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| one of six landbird species known to breed in every biogeographical region of the world except Antarctica | only six landbird species (out of ca. 10,000 species) are known to be cosmopolitan, breeding in each biogeographical region of the world, except Antarctica |
| found the osprey structured into four genetic groups in mostly separate regions | the Osprey appeared structured into four genetic groups representing quasi non-overlapping geographical regions |
| Indo-Australasia, Europe and Africa, the Americas, and north-east Asia | The group Indo-Australasia corresponds to the cristatus ssp, as well as the group Europe-Africa to the haliaetus ssp. In the Americas, we found a single lineage for both carolinensis and ridgwayi ssp, whereas in north-east Asia (Siberia and Japan), we discovered a fourth new lineage. |
| A 2015 genetic study of two mitochondrial genes | Using two mitochondrial genes (cyt b and ND2) (note: 2015 is the paper's publication year, as in the reference) |

## Westrip et al. (2022). Pandion haliaetus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T22694938A210525184.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2022-1.rlts.t22694938a210525184.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | Least Concern (note: status) |
| The IUCN Red List rates the osprey Least Concern | Least Concern |