Ospreys capture prey with a feet-first plunge into the water. Sometimes they capture two fish at once, one in each foot.
Ospreys have long, narrow wings, dark brown upperparts, white underparts, and a white head with a prominent dark eye streak. They also have dark wrist patches on the underside of the wings that are visible in flight. Immature ospreys have pale buff (light brownish-yellow) edges on the dark feathers on their upper sides. Females are more likely than males to have a necklace of dark streaking. Average length: 1.87 to 2 feet (56 to 64 cm), wingspan: 4.8 to 6 feet (147 to 183 cm).
Ospreys breed throughout much of the world, except South America. In the New World, they nest from northwestern Alaska across boreal Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland, and south to Baja California, northwestern mainland Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, the U.S. Gulf Coast, Florida, and the West Indies. During the northern winter, ospreys in the New World range from California, the U.S. Gulf Coast, and Bermuda south through Central America to South America. The species is also widespread in Europe.
Ospreys are found primarily along rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and seacoasts. They often cross land between bodies of water. They build nests in standing dead trees, living trees, cliffs, utility poles, wooden platforms on poles, channel buoys, chimneys, windmills, and other similar spots, usually near or above water.
Breeding populations in northern North America are migratory. They arrive in northern breeding areas in March, April, and May. They begin their southward migration in August, and are generally gone from the north by September, October, or November. Osprey nesting phenology varies throughout their range. For example, in Florida, they lay eggs from late November to early March, with a peak from December to mid-January. In the Chesapeake Bay region, ospreys first arrive at nests in early to mid-March, and lay eggs from late March to mid-May, with a peak in April. In southern New England, ospreys arrive beginning in mid- to late March, and lay eggs between early April to early June, with a peak in mid- to late April. In east-central Labrador, ospreys arrive around early May, and lay eggs from mid-May to mid-June. In southeastern British Columbia, ospreys arrive in mid- to late April, and lay eggs from early May to late May. Incubation lasts five to six weeks. The young fledge (are fully grown) 50 to 60 days after hatching, but may rely on their parents for several, additional weeks.
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