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More About Ospreys ...
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The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. It is sometimes known by the misnomers Fish Hawk, Sea Hawk or Fish Eagle.
It has white underparts and long, narrow wings with four "fingers", which give it a very distinctive appearance.
The Osprey is particularly well adapted to its diet, with reversible outer toes, closable nostrils to keep out water during dives, and backwards facing scales on the talons which act as barbs to help catch fish.
It locates its prey from the air, often hovering prior to plunging feet-first into the water to seize a fish. As it rises back into flight the fish is turned head forward to reduce drag. The feet are such effective tools for grasping fish that, on occasion, Ospreys have drowned because they were unable to release their grip on a fish that was heavier than expected.
It breeds by freshwater lakes, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters. The nest is a large heap of sticks built in trees, rocky outcrops, telephone poles or artificial platforms. In some regions with high Osprey densities, such as Chesapeake Bay, USA, most Ospreys do not start breeding until they are five to seven years old. Many of the structures they need to build nests on are already taken. If there are no nesting sites available, young Ospreys may be forced to delay breeding.
Ospreys usually mate for life. In March or earlier depending on region, they begin a five-month period of partnership to raise their young. Females lay 3-4 four eggs by late April, and rely on the size of their nest to help conserve heat. The eggs are approximately the size of chicken eggs, and cinnamon colored. The eggs generally incubate for 5 weeks. After hatching, 2-ounce chicks become fliers within eight weeks. When food is scarce, the first chicks to hatch are most likely to survive.
European breeders winter in Africa. American and Canadian breeders winter in South America, although some stay in the southernmost USA states such as Florida and California. Australasian Ospreys tend not to migrate.
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Ospreys
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AUDIO CLIPS
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Osprey
0.330MB WAV Hear Sound
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
Osprey
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Osprey
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Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
Osprey Song
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Osprey
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Tony Phillips: Songs and calls of some New York State birds
Osprey
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Osprey
0.180MB AU Hear Sound
Tony Phillips: Songs and calls of some New York State birds
Osprey
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Osprey
0.040MB MP3 Hear Sound
Greg Kunkel's Bird Songs
Ospsrey call
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Osprey
Streaming RAM Hear Sound
ABC Archives and Library Services
Osprey
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Osprey
0.050MB WAV Hear Sound
Naturesongs.com
Osprey song
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Osprey
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Naturesongs.com
Osprey adult on a nest
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Osprey
0.010MB MP3 Hear Sound
Oiseaux.net
Osprey sound
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Osprey
0.180MB WAV Hear Sound
Florida Bird Songs
Osprey call
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Osprey
0.070MB WAV Hear Sound
Royal British Columbia Museum: Birds - A Virtual Exhibition
Osprey call
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Osprey
0.080MB WAV Hear Sound
Royal British Columbia Museum: Birds - A Virtual Exhibition
Osprey call
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Osprey
0.050MB WAV Hear Sound
Bird Population in Taivalkoski
Osprey audio clip
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Osprey
0.120MB MP3 Hear Sound
Wildlife of the Charles River
Osprey call
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Osprey
0.330MB WAV Hear Sound
Minnesota's Pine to Prairie Birding Trail
Osprey call
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Osprey
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Välenområdet
Osprey call
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Osprey
0.060MB MP3 Hear Sound
The Virtual Bird
Osprey call
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Osprey
0.050MB WAV Hear Sound
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
Osprey
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Osprey
0.060MB WAV Hear Sound
Calgary's Weaselhead Society
Osprey
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Osprey
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Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
Osprey
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Osprey
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Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Osprey call
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Osprey
Streaming RAM Hear Sound
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Sound recordings with scientific data. To view spectrograms, follow this link
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Osprey
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National Geographic
Osprey sound clip
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