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Scientific name:
Pandion haliaetus |
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Family name:
Accipitridae |
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Are they endangered?
No, they are not threatened worldwide. (IUCN Red list:
Least concern) Endangered in New Jersey.
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What are their
past/present problems?
One of its enemies is large owls. Dangers to the Osprey
are hurricanes, lightning, cold, and hunger. Fisherman
used to kill them because they didn’t want the osprey to
get so many fish. Ospreys are also in danger from
eating prey that has eaten insects that died from DDT
pesticide poisoning. After eating enough prey with the
DDT, the Osprey may die or lay thin-shelled eggs that
break before they hatch. Loss or pollution of wetlands
ruins the habitat of the Osprey. Loss of habitat can
kill a species. |
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What do they look
like? Osprey
have white bellies and legs. Their wings and backs are
brown. Their legs are long and thin. |
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How big are they?
The Osprey is about 2 feet long. If it stretched its
wings out as far as they would go, they would be between
4 to 6 feet wide. |
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How many eggs do they
lay?
The female Osprey lays about 3 white eggs once a year.
They hatch in about a month. |
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How long do the
fledglings stay in the nest?
The Osprey builds a nest out of stuff they find around
the water—like seaweed, sticks, or mud. They will build
nests on manmade platforms, too. The babies stay in the
nest for about 7 weeks. |
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When do they hunt?
They hunt during the day. (diurnal) |
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What do they eat?
They eat fish, frogs, baby alligators, or turtles. They usually
pick animals that live in or swim in water.
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Where do they live?
They live in South America, the Caribbean Islands, Central
America, Middle Eastern countries, Europe, the United States,
Africa, and more. |
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What kind of place do
they like to live in?
They like to live by water whether it is fresh water or salt
water. They might live on marshland. |
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Interesting facts:
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Ospreys take baths by wading in water and beating their
wings. They need clean feathers so that they can fly
well. When it wants to cool off or clean its feet, the
Osprey will drag its feet through the water as it flies
over it. |
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When an Osprey dives for a fish, its whole body goes
underwater. Its nose will close up when it goes under. |
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Ospreys have very big and strong wings because they have
to grab fish out of the water with their talons and fly
away with it. |
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These birds might carry a fish in their talons while
they are migrating. “OPAL—Osprey Packing A Lunch” [Alderfer] |
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