Osprey

Western osprey — © Zveriki.com, AI-generated image based on the original work of El Golli Mohamed, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
Mass
1256–1645 g
Length
500–650 mm
Lifespan
8766–14610 days 24–40 years
25332
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1
western-osprey
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western osprey
Pandion haliaetus
The osprey is a large bird of prey that catches fish. It lives near rivers, lakes, and sea coasts almost all over the world.
The osprey differs from other birds of prey with its special claws for catching slippery fish. It is important for nature because it controls the number of fish in water bodies.
diving from the air
trophic:carnivore
#fdfdfc
Mass (chick)
60–1500 g
Mass (adult bird of prey, male)
1200–1700 g
Mass (adult bird of prey, female)
1400–2000 g
Mass (egg)
60–80 g
Length (adult bird of prey)
500–650 mm
Length (chick)
50–450 mm
Wingspan
1600 mm
Lifespan maximum
11688 days 32 years
Theoretical lifespan
8274–10639 days 23–29 years
Gestation
38 days 1 month 1 week
Litter size
2–4
Maturity
730–1460 days 2–4 years
Offspring
2–4
Repro interval
365 days 1 year
Talons count (adult bird of prey)
4
Comparable in mass
Melon
Biome
Temperate coniferous forest
Biome
Flooded grasslands
Realm
world of Afrotropics
Biome
Taiga
Realm
Palearctic realm
Realm
Neotropical realm
Realm
Indomalayan realm
Realm
Nearctic realm
Realm
world of Australasia
Biome
Temperate mixed forest
Habitat (whole life)
terrestrial intertidal
Climate
Warm or hot summer
Climate
Warm summer and lots of rain
Landscape
terrestrial
Landscape
terrestrial forest
Habitat (whole life)
terrestrial grassland and steppe
Habitat (whole life)
alpine meadow
Habitat (whole life)
highland tundra
Habitat (whole life)
terrestrial shrubland
Climate
Always very wet
Climate
Very hot summer
Climate
Warm summer
Climate
Warm summer and frequent rains
Climate
Lots of rain and warm summer
Climate
Snowy winter and summer from cool to warm
Climate
Winter with snow
Climate
Pleasant summer
Food environment
aerial
Shelter
nest
Trophic type
carnivore
8766.0
14610.0
8274.451883001839
10638.580992430936
500.0
650.0
1256.007789515266
1645.4003063530217
Worker
Were {name} like {animal}, then:
birth time
Submerges underwater to reach prey or food at depth.
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
lots of rain, warm summer, snow in winter
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
days
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Warm summer
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
summer from pleasant to very hot
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
adult bird of prey
Maturity
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Melon
About health
cool, lots of coniferous trees, snow in winter
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Repro interval
results
land coast flooded by tides — salt marshes, littoral zone
aerial
summer warm, winter not very cold
Southeast Asia and islands, always hot and humid
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
diving
mo
live fish
Trophic type
Filters
dead mice, hares, deer
Warm or hot summer
Palearctic realm
Upcoming birthdays
Breeding structure built or used for laying eggs and raising offspring.
Winter with snow
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
rains almost always, very humid
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Age (embryo)
alpine meadows and subalpine meadows in mountains
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
Wanderers
Feeding occurs in open air space above ground or water.
world of Australasia
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Warm summer and frequent rains
More:
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
beasts
Business sausages
Lifespan average
beasts
summer warm, rains frequent
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
birds
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
fish
end of acceleration
Share
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Snowy winter and summer from cool to warm
flight
Pets
Indomalayan realm
Nearctic realm
Indomalayan realm
terrestrial shrubland
{name} jubilee
terrestrial shrub habitats — maquis, chaparral, bush
cm
Temperate coniferous forest
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
Wingspan
turns
islands and part of Australia, many unusual animals and plants
Rascals
terrestrial forest
terrestrial grassland and steppe
terrestrial intertidal
Flooded grasslands
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Litter size
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Share
Where are they found?
from 0.8 to 1.2 kilograms, 0.6 – 1.2 meters
Down color
Talons count
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Elders
lots of rain, summer from cool to warm, snow in winter
Bro
Taxons
carnivore
if born as {name}
age
birth date
Palearctic realm
Close
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
Neotropical realm
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
primary food sources
Neotropical realm
Potential Habitat
Very hot summer
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Mass
cold winter, lots of coniferous trees: spruce, pine
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Gestation
islands and part of Australia, many unusual animals and plants
summer very hot, above +25…+30 °C
{name} birthday
Nearctic realm
Link copied
No results found
North America and Greenland, from tundra to forests
live birds
On the map
Pleasant summer
all life stages
Female ♀
world of Afrotropics
high-mountain tundra above the tree line
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0 Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
birth year
Maturity
terrestrial habitat, land surface outside water
sq mm
yr
Beak color
comfortable summer, +20…+25 °C
How similar?
Male ♂
until the celebration
chick
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
live mammals, mice, hares, deer and others
Neither
from birth to adulthood
Young offspring still dependent on parental care.
nest
What do they eat?
alpine meadow
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
Lots of rain and warm summer
from birth to death
much snow in winter, cold
highland tundra
Talons color
Plumage color
forests on land — tropical, temperate, boreal
water often floods the land, lots of grass
world of Afrotropics
Temperate mixed forest
Duration
This is me
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
Always very wet
Gamers
How are they built?
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
terrestrial
Taiga
Asexual
swap
Southeast Asia and islands, always hot and humid
active predation
Who among us will transform as if by magic and become like {animal}?
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
open grassy spaces — steppes, savannas, prairies
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
world of Australasia
Capturing or collecting food while airborne.
whole life
Hermaphrodite ⚥
North America and Greenland, from tundra to forests
egg
summer warm, many oaks, birches, maples
Length
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Observations
◉{N} more on tap
chick
pupa
imago
fledgling
young bird
western-osprey
skopa
cay-qaraqusu
qab-nsary
skapa
jrarciv
misago-ke
shak-i
skopa
mulsuli
balykchy-kushu
orao-ribar
balykchy-karchyga
baliqqiyg-ir
e
  • Western osprey feet are adapted for catching fish: they are long, with convex and curved claws, and the outer toe is freely turned backward. The outer toe is freely turned backward, allowing them to grasp slippery prey.
  • Female western ospreys ask their mate for food, and if the male cannot feed her, they ask other males. This happens when the male cannot feed the female.
  • Western osprey chicks cannot maintain normal body temperature for the first two weeks, and the female warms them almost constantly. Until four weeks, she also cares for them in case of excessively cold or hot weather.
  • Western ospreys may be polygamous if nests are close to each other. The male can protect both nests, but the first receives more food, as he feeds there first.
  • Western ospreys usually do not drink water — their needs are met by fresh fish. The percentage of successful dives into water varies from 24 to 74 depending on conditions.
  • Migrating western ospreys behave unusually compared to other birds of prey, staying in their "winter apartments" year-round, instead of returning to their nesting areas in summer. One-year-old juveniles fly north only the following summer, when they have a chance to reproduce.
  • The male western osprey brings 3–10 fish to the nest daily, each weighing 60–100 grams. At this time, he or the female cuts the fish into pieces and feeds the chicks.

Phenotype

  • Western osprey feet are adapted for catching fish: they are long, with convex and curved claws, and the outer toe is freely turned backward. The outer toe is freely turned backward, allowing them to grasp slippery prey.

Physiology

  • Western osprey feet are adapted for catching fish: they are long, with convex and curved claws, and the outer toe is freely turned backward. The outer toe is freely turned backward, allowing them to grasp slippery prey.
  • Western osprey chicks cannot maintain normal body temperature for the first two weeks, and the female warms them almost constantly. Until four weeks, she also cares for them in case of excessively cold or hot weather.

Geography

  • Migrating western ospreys behave unusually compared to other birds of prey, staying in their "winter apartments" year-round, instead of returning to their nesting areas in summer. One-year-old juveniles fly north only the following summer, when they have a chance to reproduce.

Feeding

  • Western ospreys usually do not drink water — their needs are met by fresh fish. The percentage of successful dives into water varies from 24 to 74 depending on conditions.
  • The male western osprey brings 3–10 fish to the nest daily, each weighing 60–100 grams. At this time, he or the female cuts the fish into pieces and feeds the chicks.

Reproduction

  • Female western ospreys ask their mate for food, and if the male cannot feed her, they ask other males. This happens when the male cannot feed the female.
  • Western ospreys may be polygamous if nests are close to each other. The male can protect both nests, but the first receives more food, as he feeds there first.
  • Western osprey feet are adapted for catching fish: they are long, with convex and curved claws, and the outer toe is freely turned backward. The outer toe is freely turned backward, allowing them to grasp slippery prey.
  • Female western ospreys ask their mate for food, and if the male cannot feed her, they ask other males. This happens when the male cannot feed the female.
  • Western osprey chicks cannot maintain normal body temperature for the first two weeks, and the female warms them almost constantly. Until four weeks, she also cares for them in case of excessively cold or hot weather.
  • Western ospreys may be polygamous if nests are close to each other. The male can protect both nests, but the first receives more food, as he feeds there first.
  • Western ospreys usually do not drink water — their needs are met by fresh fish. The percentage of successful dives into water varies from 24 to 74 depending on conditions.
  • Migrating western ospreys behave unusually compared to other birds of prey, staying in their "winter apartments" year-round, instead of returning to their nesting areas in summer. One-year-old juveniles fly north only the following summer, when they have a chance to reproduce.
  • The male western osprey brings 3–10 fish to the nest daily, each weighing 60–100 grams. At this time, he or the female cuts the fish into pieces and feeds the chicks.

In Husbandry

  • Western ospreys usually do not drink water — their needs are met by fresh fish. The percentage of successful dives into water varies from 24 to 74 depending on conditions.
  • The male western osprey brings 3–10 fish to the nest daily, each weighing 60–100 grams. At this time, he or the female cuts the fish into pieces and feeds the chicks.