adult

adult underwing European distribution hunting

Identification

Ospreys are very distinctive birds. Their mostly white underparts with black wrist patches rule out most other birds except perhaps an exceptionally pale buzzard species. Ospreys have a unique shape with their long narrow wings always kinked at the wrist to make an 'M' shape and arched when seen head-on. Their habit of hovering over water then plunging feet first to catch a fish distinctive.

Habitat

Breeds in conifers near lochs, rivers and the coast.

Behaviour

Hunts by diving feet-first for fish, often preceded by prolonged hovering over the water. If the bird is successful the fish is carried in the feet, with one foot behind the other so the fish is held pointing forward, head first in the most streamlined way. On rising from the water, the bird will pause to shake the water from its feathers, then continue flying normally.

Migration

Most birds winter in tropical west Africa, although the Mediterranean birds are resident. Some Finnish birds have been shown to travel further, to South Africa. Birds leave their breeding areas in August-September, returning in April-May.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Osprey is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Sanbanse, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu, Japan 29/08/2010	undisc. site, Perth/Kinross 10/08/2010	Weir Wood Resr, E Sussex 19/08/2010	Loch of Lowes, Perth/Kinross 09/06/2010	Loch of Lowes, Perth/Kinross 09/06/2010
Grove Ferry, Kent 21/08/2010	Whitburn Steel, Durham 21/08/2010	Weir Wood Resr, E Sussex 19/08/2010	Weir Wood Resr, E Sussex 19/08/2010	Watton NR, E Yorks 18/08/2010

 View all pictures of Osprey

Bird News Extra subscribers can view a list of top sites for this species. To check prices, find out more, or to subscribe, click here.

Osprey breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Britain
Bulgaria
Canary Islands
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
Ukraine

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	RSPB: Lake District Ospreys fitted with satellite transmitters	Wednesday 14th July 2010
	Two Osprey chicks have been fitted with satellite transmitters to discover more about their movements once fledged.   read on
	Forestry Commission: Kielder Osprey Watch	Tuesday 4th May 2010
	Film of the return of Kielder's Ospreys has just been released.   read on
	RSPB: Strangers in the woods	Friday 23rd April 2010
	Fake birds set to attract the real thing.   read on
	RSPB: Golden Osprey chicks get sat-tagged	Tuesday 7th July 2009
	Loch Garten's famous migrants can be followed online.   read on
	RSPB: Back again - Scotland's famous Ospreys!	Friday 27th March 2009
	Loch Garten's faithful female EJ has returned on time. Watch her progress on the webcam.   read on
	Forestry Commission: Osprey volunteers wanted	Thursday 19th March 2009
	The Tweed Valley Osprey Project is on the look out for more volunteers to help with this year's season.   read on
	BTO: Loch Garten's latest Osprey offspring are heading towards Africa	Wednesday 3rd September 2008
	Follow Nethy and Deshar's progress as they meander their way towards warmer climes.   read on
	British Birds: A study of the home life of the Osprey	Sunday 23rd March 2008
	This paper is from the very first edition of British Birds, June 1907.
	Back from the Brink. No 8: Osprey	Thursday 6th April 2006
	The eighth of our articles based on a RSPB booklet charting the recovery of some of the UK's rarest breeding birds. Here we look at the iconic Osprey, a species guaranteed to get the pulse racing for every birder.   read on
	Breeding Ospreys in Wales	Friday 20th August 2004
	Great news from Wales! This spring two pairs of Ospreys set up territories and went on to build nests.   read on
	Lake District Osprey Chick Takes First Flight	Wednesday 28th July 2004
	The Osprey chick hatched this year in the famous nest in the Lake District took its first flight early this morning   read on
	Lakes Ospreys Incubating	Friday 30th April 2004
	A change in the behaviour of the birds in the last few days suggests that at least two eggs have already been laid, and a third one could be on the way.   read on
	Delight as Osprey returns to the Lake District – male spring-cleans as he awaits his mate	Thursday 15th April 2004
	A male Osprey arrived back in the Lake District at the weekend, returning to the famous Cumbrian nest site from West Africa on Saturday 10th in the morning   read on
	All eyes on the skies for news of 'Red 15': Cumbria hopes for the return of the chick	Wednesday 24th March 2004
	The first Osprey chick to have been reared in the Lakes for at least 150 years could be on its way back to the UK for the first time.   read on
	Osprey Chick Learns Fish Catching Trick	Thursday 21st August 2003
	Anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of Cumbria's famous Ospreys before the birds head south for the winter, should make tracks to Dodd Wood near Bassenthwaite before the end of the month.   read on
	Easter Comes Late to the Lake District...But the Osprey Eggs are Early!	Friday 2nd May 2003
	The Lake District's famous Ospreys are incubating eggs, the Lake District Osprey Project announced today. The news has taken the Ospreys' guardians by surprise, as the female has laid her eggs in the nest near Bassenthwaite Lake almost two weeks earlier than last year.   read on
	Lake District Osprey Eggs Hatch - It's Twins! The Famous Family Produce Young	Friday 21st June 2002
	England's most famous wildlife family is the centre of attention again today with the announcement that the Ospreys nesting in Cumbria have successfully hatched eggs and have produced two chicks.   read on

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