The osprey is unique among raptors. While it is a hawk in the order Falconiformes, it is distinct from other hawks and falcons in several ways, from prickly spicules on the feet, which help it grasp slippery fish, to a reversible toe like an owl's. Ospreys also have thin, slit-like nostrils - unique to the species - that close as it dives into water to catch fish.
Ospreys can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Some ospreys in warm climates spend most of their lives in the same region, while others move north for the breeding season, then fly south for the winter.
In Vermont, ospreys tend to arrive early in the spring, usually by mid-April, and stay into the fall. At Lake Arrowhead, the ospreys tend to arrive around the end of the first week of April.
General Traits
Adult female ospreys tend to be slightly larger than males; average ospreys weigh 2 to 4.5 pounds. Wingspans range up to 6 feet, with an overall body length of about 2 feet. White feathers cover the underside and head, with dark brown feathers on the back and tail and a prominent black stripe across the eyes. Although it is not universal, most female ospreys also have a dark string of dark feathers below the head, often called a necklace. The wing is bent in flight, like a gull, a distinctive feature among birds of prey.
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 2007 Central Vermont Public Service
Copyright 2002-2003 photos CVPS, Gustav W. Verderber, Floyd Scholz
and Department of Fish & Wildlife
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