Author Archives: Harriett Raptor

Once in the air, ospreys will arrange the fish so that it is facing upright, head forward. This reduces aerodynamic drag.

Fishing  Ospreys catch fish on at least 1 in every 4 dives, with success rates of 70%. The average time spent hunting before making a catch is about 4 minutes. “Missed”  

“Now watch this,” said Harriett. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMw-PspfdkQ    

For fish up to three feet deep   For fish near the surface

Ospreys have longer-than-usual wings, which give them more powerful lifting capability. This allows Ospreys to lift a heavy load of fish up from being partially submerged in the water.  Its prey could be 50 percent of the bird’s own mass, … Continue reading →

Despite their large size, Ospreys can briefly hover. This allows them to pinpoint a fish and set themselves up for an effective dive, plunging feet-first into the water to catch their next meal.

The Preen gland, also called Uropygial gland empties to the skin surface through a nipplelike pore at the base of the tail. Osprey preen by rubbing their bill and head over the preen gland pore and then rubbing the accumulated oil over … Continue reading →

Osprey talons In common with most raptors, osprey have four long toes—three in front and one in back. As the bird reaches for a fish, its outer front toe swivels to the rear, giving it two grasping talons front and … Continue reading →

The Osprey Stare The arrangement of the feathers above the osprey’s eyes serves to reduce glare from the water surface when fishing. It also gives the osprey its characteristic menacing stare. Nictitating Membrane When an Osprey dives into the water, … Continue reading →

Visual acuity is eight times that of humans. Large eyes, face forward for excellent depth perception. Can see through the glare on the water surface and quickly shift focus, allowing them to essentially “zoom” in on their prey. Sees a … Continue reading →