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| Fish Hawk/Osprey |
| Description |
23 to 25 inches in length; wing span can be
as much as 6 feet; dark brown and shaggy white head; dark
brown/blackish eye patch and wings; white/greyish under parts
and long narrow wings. |
| Located |
You can find them everywhere in Florida.
When driving you can see their large nests on top of utility
poles. In fact, the county builds platforms on poles to
encourage nesting. At one time these birds were becoming
rare, so nesting was encouraged throughout the county. On the
water, you can view them on channel markers or flying with a
freshly caught fish in their talons. |
| In Florida |
They are in Florida year round. |
| Diet |
Their diet is fish--they are called a fish
eating bird-of-prey, i.e. raptor. |
| Behaviors |
The Fish Hawk/Osprey has evolved specialized
physical characteristics and exhibits some unique behaviors to
assist in hunting and catching prey. Its toes are of
equal length, the foot bones are netlike, and its talons are
rounded, rather than grooved. The Osprey is the only raptor
whose outer toe is reversible, allowing it to grasp its prey
with two toes in front and two behind. |
| Breeding |
They usually breed in the spring (they mate
for life--life can be up to 25 years). They lay 2-4 eggs
which incubate for 5 weeks to hatching. They won't start
breeding until 3-4 years of age, but lack of structures to build
nests will delay breeding. |
| Personal Experience |
We live near a fresh water lake and we can
view the Fish Hawk/Osprey flying overhead many times with a
fresh bass in its talons. One time, I heard the loud
squawking. I looked up and saw an Osprey with a very large
fish in its talons. It was making such a fuss because the
fish was too large and it couldn't keep altitude while carrying
it. Its mate was flying close by squawking encouragement.
I guess, like humans, they have eyes bigger than stomach when it
applies to food. |
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