Ospreys, also known as seahawks, or fish eagles, are birds of prey that are present on every continent, except Antarctica.
They primarily inhabit coastal regions, and unlike most raptors, fish make up 99% of their diets.
They are strictly monogamous birds, so when they mate, they generally mate for life. Thus, both the male and female will care for the nest and deliver fresh fish to their young. When they breed, they prefer building nests around freshwater lakes and rivers, but they will also build nests around estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. Here, they have access to plenty of fish, which they will feed to their young for roughly two months.
In the video below, a hidden camera at the end of a residential dock captures a mother osprey feeding her chicks. These chicks will grow very quickly during the two months of feeding and will fledge 8 to 10 weeks after hatching.
With a nest over the water, where most predators are absent, you’d assume mother and father ospreys would have little to worry about; however, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Watch a spectacular slow-motion video of an osprey capturing a fish:
Both adult and young ospreys are potential prey for bigger, fiercer raptors, such as bald eagles and great horned owls. These animals sometimes will attack each other if they inhabit the same area, since they both depend upon fish for survival. Check out the photo below posted to Reddit a few years ago:
YSK The Osprey(Seahawk) is one of the only animals that will attack an Bald Eagle.
byu/tuffstough inSeahawks
Small mammals like raccoons can be a serious threat to eggs and nestlings as well. Watch that happen in the video below:
Sometimes an osprey’s worst enemy is another osprey. Watch the video below to see the surreal scene where a young osprey devours its younger sibling:
