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Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Family: PANDIONIDAE
Order: Falconiformes
Spanish Common Name: Gavilán pescador
French Common Name: Balbuzard pêcheur
(c) Shawn Carey |
Courtesy Kenn Kaufman |
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Conservation Status
Global Population: 460,000
Continental Population: 211,500
Watchlist Status: 
Audubon State of the Birds Status: increasing population; no current conservation concerns
One of North America's largest birds of prey, the Osprey is a magnificent fish-eating hawk with a white-crested head, yellow eyes, a white underside, and a dark brown back. The species, once gravely imperiled, has undergone a tremendous resurgence and occurs virtually worldwide, near coastlines, lakes, and rivers, where the birds hunt for their food.
Range & Distribution
Found on every continent except Antarctica, the Osprey, or fish hawk, is among the most widely distributed raptors in the world. In North America, it breeds from Alaska through Canada, southward along both coasts to Mexico and the West Indies, and in scattered inland locations, such as around the Great Lakes. The birds mainly winter south of the United States, in Central and South America to central Chile and the northern coast of Argentina, but a few may winter as far north as southern Canada.
A legend for the range map to the right can be found here.
Population Status & Trends
Osprey numbers are on the rise after global numbers plummeted from the 1950s through the 1970s. In the United States, declines were most severe along the North Atlantic coast and in the Great Lakes region. But by the year 2000, most North American populations had rebounded to near-historical abundance levels, with birds reoccupying former habitats and moving into new areas. Some states, however, have not experienced such successful turnarounds, and still list the species as threatened or endangered.
Conservation Issues & Efforts
Poisoning by DDT and other related pesticides caused eggshell thinning and widespread breeding failures, leading to a sharp drop in Osprey populations. After DDT use was banned in the United States in 1972, the species rapidly rallied. Risks continue to be posed in countries where Ospreys breed and pesticides are not regulated. The birds are also vulnerable to the destruction of nest sites by logging; the conversion of habitat into farmland; declines in water quality and fish populations; shooting; collisions with motor vehicles and stationary structures; and electrocution by power transmission lines and transformers. In many areas, Ospreys have benefited from active management, including the erection of artificial nesting platforms, and the reintroduction of birds into areas where the species has been decimated.
What You Can Do
For actions you can take, including Audubon activities, please visit our resources page.
For More Information
References
Poole, A. F., R. O. Bierregaard, and M. S. Martell. 2002. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). In The Birds of North America, No. 683 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Kaufman, Kenn. Lives of North American Birds, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1996.
Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2000.
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