Wingspan: 54-72 Inches

Weight: 2 ¾-4 lbs.

Age: May live to be 30+ years old.

Range: Worldwide, known from every continent except Antarctica.

Food: Almost exclusively fish. Also known to catch reptiles, amphibians, rodents and small birds when fish are not available. Catches fish by hovering over water and plunging feet first into water from 30-100 feet above surface. Ospreys occasionally lock talons into fish to large to bring to the surface and are drowned. Bald Eagles will rob Ospreys of their catch whenever the opportunity arises.

Nesting: Large nests made up of sticks, seaweed, bones, driftwood etc. are built atop trees, telephone poles, man-made nesting platforms, and many types of structures. These nests are added to each year and may eventually reach weights of ½ ton. The female incubates from two to four eggs for 32-38 days. Young make first flights 51-59 days after hatching. Male brings food to female while she is incubating.

As a result of contamination of the food supply with insecticides, the Osprey population experienced a catastrophic decline in the northeastern states. Since the use of these chemicals has been banned numbers are increasing and the Osprey is once again a familiar sight on the South Fork. The Osprey is still listed as threatened by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.