Osprey Facts

Ospreys are a bird of prey, considered raptors, and are native to the Adirondack region of New York. The Adirondack Mountains are home to one of their main breeding regions due to the prevalence of lakes, wetlands, and rivers, though they tend to breed along coastlines. Ospreys hunt for their own meals and are adept at fishing, using their talons to scoop unsuspecting fish out of water. According to NYS DEC, Osprey are now listed as “special concern,” a serious improvement from their “endangered” listing in 1976 due to eggshell thinning from the widespread use of DDT.

When in flight, ospreys are differentiated from other birds by the size and shape of their wings. Ospreys are large hawks, approximately the same size as a goose or larger, with a wingspan of 4 to 6 feet. Their wings have a noticeably sharp bend in them when seen flying overhead. They are mostly white on the underside but have dark brown backs. Their heads are also white with a brown band across their eye line.

Ospreys prefer to nest along bodies of water, utilizing both natural and manmade structures to build their large nests on. They will typically build stick nests anywhere between 20 to 100 feet in height. They will nest over water, or quite high to avoid predators.

Source: Hamilton County