Osprey Plumage
An osprey's plumage often prompts confusion for viewers, who with regularity mistake the osprey for the bald eagle. The head is primarily white, with a broad band of feathers stretching from in front of the eyes to the back of the head, but from a distance, the two relatives are easily mistaken for one another.
The osprey's underside and head are primarily white, while the tops of the wings and back are dark brown. The tail is dark on top, striped underneath, and gives the appearance of a rounded fan when spread. The wings themselves are also white underneath, but the longer primaries, secondaries and under-secondary coverts are striped like the tail feathers. Underneath, there is a black patch at the bend in the wing.
The female bird's chest is speckled with brown feathers that form a "necklace."
The plumage is generally compact, but the crest feathers become erect when the bird is highly alert or annoyed. The thighs have extremely compact plumage, and the compact nature of the body plumage is believed to help blunt the impact from hitting the water when catching fish.
For more information on ospreys, click on the pictures below.
General Info || Legs & Foot || Eyes || Beak & Mouth
Wings || Plumage || Feeding || Young Chicks || Breeding & Nests
Terms of Use - Copyright 2009 Central Vermont Public Service
Copyright 2002-2003 photos CVPS, Gustav W. Verderber, Floyd Scholz
and Department of Fish & Wildlife
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