Laura's Osprey information

Osprey

The Osprey is a fascinating bird--the only hawk with an opposable front toe that works like our thumb, and the only hawk who eats nothing but fish.

Laura's Osprey photo gallery

To see a range map and learn a lot of basic natural history information about it, see

• Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology All About Birds: Osprey
• USGS Patuxent Bird InfoCenter: Osprey

How YOU can help Osprey:

• Protect Wetlands
  • Minimize shoreline development
  • Conserve water in the house.
  • Conserve water in the yard.
  • Prevent nutrient runoff.
  • Control mosquitoes safely.
  • Don't use herbicides.
  • Don't use insecticides.
• Conserve electricity
• Conserve paper
• Support the National Wildlife Refuge System
  • Buy a Duck Stamp.

How you can see Osprey:

Osprey migrate in good numbers at migration observation spots such as Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

During the nesting season, watch particularly for their nests, virtually always at the pinnacle of a tall tree, snag, powerpole, or nest platform. Osprey are usually very skittish, so nests are best observed through a spotting scope. When watching Osprey at a fishing spot, you can sometimes follow them with a scope, but it's often easier to use binoculars. They are often seen at a distance, making high power better, but are often easier to follow in movement, especially in their dramatic interactions with eagles, through lower power binoculars, so many people prefer 8x.