Osprey Osprey

1. Bold white head and underparts contrasting with dark brown back and wings

2. M-shaped wing silhouette when soaring or hovering over water

3. Listen for their high-pitched, whistled calls-a rapid series of notes that falls in pitch

Ospreys are highly specialized fish-hunters, plunging feet-first from heights of 1–4 meters to catch prey, usually accessing only the top meter of water. Their diet is almost exclusively live fish. In Australia, breeding occurs mainly between August and February, varying by latitude-northern birds breed earlier than southern populations. Nests are large stick platforms reused and added to over many years. Females lay 2–3 eggs, with chicks fledging after 5–6 days. Most Australian Ospreys are resident year-round, maintaining permanent territories. Major threats include habitat loss, human disturbance, and entanglement in fishing gear, with some southern populations in decline and listed as vulnerable.

In Australia, Ospreys are mostly found along coastal regions, estuaries, and large rivers, with resident populations especially along the northern and eastern coasts. They are rare or absent from Victoria and Tasmania, and patchy in southern regions. Ospreys build conspicuous stick nests on dead trees, cliffs, channel markers, utility poles, or purpose-built platforms near water. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see them actively fishing. Scan open water for their hovering flight and dramatic plunge-dives, especially where shallow water makes fish accessible.