Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

​Osprey return to Connecticut from their southern wintering grounds in late March. Usually, they choose nesting sites near or over water but will travel up to several miles from the nest to hunt for food. They prefer the tops of dead trees for nesting sites, but have been known to nest on telephone poles, pilings, channel markers, and other man-made structures in or near the water. They will readily use artificial nest platforms, in areas where there are few natural nest sites. Osprey use sticks when building their large nests; as well as seaweed, bones, driftwood, cornstalks and trash may also be used.

​Description

The osprey is a large hawk distinguished by its white underparts and the distinctive crook formed by its long, narrow wings. Osprey have long legs and large feet with specialized barbs on the pads, hooked talons, and a reversible outer toe. This allows them to easily grasp fish with two toes pointing to the front and two pointing to the rear. Osprey have an oily waterproof coating on their wings and can close their nostrils when they plunge into the water. Adults are brown to brownish black above with brownish-black marks on the wings and buff to brown speckling on the breast. The head is white with a dark crown and there is a wide, dark brown stripe extending through the eye down the cheek. Both sexes are similar in appearance, although the female is larger. One of the larger birds of prey, ospreys have an average wingspan of five feet.

Weight: Males, 2 to 3.5 pounds; females, 2.75 to 4.25 pounds.
Length: 21 to 25 inches; wingspan: 54 to 72 inches.

​Habitat

Seashore, coastal marshes, lakes and rivers.​

Range

The osprey is found almost worldwide. Its nesting range in North America includes coastal areas and large inland lakes. These birds then overwinter from Florida to northern coastal Mexico and south to northern South America.

​Diet

Mostly fish.

​Life Span

The average life span is 15 to 20 years.

​Family Life

Osprey pairs usually return to the same nest site each year.  Adults are protective of the nest site and may exhibit aggressive behavior at the approach  of a potential intruder. The month-long incubation period is usually completed by the female,  who is fed by the male during this time. Sixty days after hatching, young osprey make their  first flight. After fledging, the young remain with the parents for up to two months. Young  remain at wintering grounds for two to three years until they return to the north to make  their first breeding attempt.

History in CT

In the 1940s, the coastal zone between New York City and Boston supported an estimated 1,000 active osprey nests. Development pressures and eggshell thinning caused by DDT contamination reduced this number to 150 nests by 1969. The banning of DDT in the 1970s and restrictions on the use of other pesticides caused a steady recovery of osprey populations.            
 
In Connecticut, the osprey population has experienced a steady increase since 1974. It is not unusual to have osprey sightings along Connecticut's coast and rivers. Osprey are still exposed to pesticide contamination at their wintering grounds in the West Indies, Central America and northern South America.
 
The development of the Connecticut shoreline has reduced the number of available Osprey nest sites. Increased human presence encourages the presence of predators, such as raccoons, which can destroy the eggs or young. Discarded litter along the shoreline, especially plastic six-pack yokes and monofilament fishing line, which are often used as nest material, can cause the strangulation death of young osprey. People are encouraged to dispose of all litter in an appropriate, safe manner. During the nesting season, people or their pets should maintain a distance of at least 500 feet from an osprey nest.

​Did You Know? At Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, you can see our Education Ambassador Raptors in the Upper Farmyard area.