Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Osprey
Osprey Osprey Osprey Osprey
OrderAccipitriformes
FamilyPandionidae
Habitatlakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the coast
Seasonmigration and winter, a few year-round
LocationTexas
Size~23 in / 58 cm, wingspan ~5.5 ft
Dietalmost entirely fish
ConservationLeast Concern
ISO2000

About the Osprey

A fish hawk in the truest sense - it hunts nothing else, hovering over open water before folding into a feet-first plunge that puts it right under the surface. Barbed pads on its toes and a reversible outer toe let it carry a slick fish head-first, and on Central Texas lakes it is one of the most dramatic birds to photograph.

Want to see an Osprey in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours!

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