About Osprey

The scientific name for Osprey is Pandion Haliaetus. Osprey are birds of prey or raptors, a latin word meaning “one who seizes and carries away”.

Ospreys are large hawks with long narrow wings, dark brown plumage on top and white plumage on the chest and head. the osprey has a dark grey eye stripe. Osprey are 21-23 inches long. Osprey have a wingspan of approximately 63 inches.

Osprey are coastal birds. The Osprey feeds almost entirely on fish. The Osprey will circle up to 100 feet above the water, when it sees a fish it will plunge down throwing its feet with tallons forward to seize the fish. The ospreys feet are studded with small spines to help it grip the fish.

Like Eagles, Osprey return to the same nest year after year. Osprey nests are usually located on rocky cliffs or in tall trees over water. Osprey construct their nests with sticks in a tall trees or rocky precipices. The osprey lays 2-4 eggs. The eggs are kept warm by the female osprey for one month. The eggs hatch an d the young osprey emerge with white plumage. The young osprey leave the nest after 2 months.

About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife and animal website. Jacob also guest writes for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net