One of the rarest and most graceful birds on the whole Earth. Listed in the IUCN Red List. Represents the Osprey squad from the Skopin family, which are part of the large Hawk-shaped squad.
Appearance
The osprey is a fairly large bird, whose body size varies from 55 to 58 centimeters in length and a wingspan of around 150 centimeters. The head color is white with a characteristic black stripe that starts from the beak and ends at the back of the head. The upper part of the body is black and gray. On the chest is a necklace of black feathers. There is a small crest in the back of the head. The feathers themselves look a little tousled.
Depending on the habitat, body color may change. However, all species have very long, onion-shaped wings with a characteristic curve near the wrist joint. Due to its wing structure, in flight, the osprey acquires a resemblance to a seagull. The tail of the osprey is also noteworthy, which has the ability to move apart in the form of a fan. The eyes are yellow. The beak is slightly curled and dark.
Sexual dimorphism consists in the predominance of black in the plumage of the female, as well as a pronounced strong necklace in the neck. Individuals can also be distinguished by weight: females are almost 20% heavier than males.
Habitat
The osprey is located on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. They are quite common in the regions of South America and Indo-Malaysia. During the winter, they can inhabit Egypt and the Red Sea islands. On the territory of Russia, they prefer to live near cold lakes and rivers. Tall trees are chosen for nesting.
Nutrition
Almost the entire diet of this bird consists of fish. Osprey feed on literally any fish that are near the surface of the water. They hunt for fish on the fly, hovering above the water. Sometimes they can ambush. It is very important for these birds that the water is clean and as clear as possible so that you can see the fish at a distance of 40 meters from the surface. Having found the necessary prey, the osprey rushes at it from a steep angle with great speed, and then clings to the victim with its long claws. The prey begins to eat from the head, and the rest is either thrown away or carried to the nest. Osprey practically do not drink water.
Osprey is a great angler
The large osprey can hunt several massive fish. However, they may not calculate the weight of the prey, because of which the caught fish breaks off the osprey’s claws and falls to the bottom.
Breeding period
The breeding period can vary depending on the osprey’s lifestyle. In sedentary birds, it begins in December and lasts until March, and in migratory ospreys it begins from April to March. The mating season is males courting females. They arrange flights near nests, attracting females and protecting themselves from males. After the formation of a couple, the stage of home improvement begins. Basically, the female herself finds materials for the nest, and they are engaged in the arrangement together with the male. The built nest is their permanent home, so they often take good care of it. After conception, the female begins to lay eggs at intervals of a couple of days. As a rule, from 2 to 4 small chicks are born.
Osprey with chicks
Chicks that hatch earlier are stronger than those that hatch later. The incubation process lasts for 40 days. It is noteworthy that both the female and the male are engaged in incubation in pairs. Only born ospreys are fed by their parents with small fish. The female divides the fish caught by the male into pieces and feeds it to the chicks. Within a month and a half, little ospreys acquire hunting skills. At the age of 2 months, they leave the nests and begin an independent life. Osprey does not become sexually mature until the age of three.
Enemies in nature
Osprey can fall prey to adult owls or bald eagles in North America. Everywhere they are hunted by various species of owls and eagles, martens and raccoons, representatives of the feline family and snakes. As a rule, many animals destroy osprey nests.
Osprey can be attacked by a number of large crocodiles in southern countries, especially the Nile crocodile. He grabs the osprey, which dives into the water for prey.
Population
At the moment, the number of osprey is alarming. Birds are listed in the Red Book of a number of countries, as well as in various environmental documents. In some regions, the small number of these birds is associated with the hunting of poachers, poisoning of their habitat with pesticides and a decrease in the amount of food supply. In Europe and North America, it was possible to restore the number of osprey due to the introduction of environmental measures and the creation of conditions for artificial nesting.
Life span
The life span of osprey reaches about 25 years. It is noteworthy that with age, these birds acquire a better chance of a long existence. Basic statistics show that only 60% of young chicks survive, and of adult representatives, the survival rate increases to 90%.
In North America, the oldest osprey is considered to be at the age of 25, and in Finland there are individuals that have survived to 26 years of age. Broke the record for the European osprey at the age of 30.
