The fingered wings in flight are narrow and angled distinctively. The Osprey is a large black-and-white hawk with long narrow wings, long legs, and a distinctive M-shaped flight profile. Browse the user profile and get inspired. The Osprey hunts fish. A "Seahawk" is a nickname for the Osprey, part of the Raptor Family. Osprey, (Pandion haliaetus), also called fish hawk, large, long-winged hawk, about 65 cm (26 inches) long, that lives along seacoasts and larger interior waterways, where it catches fish. Ospreys are unusual among hawks in possessing a reversible outer toe that allows them to grasp with two toes in front and two behind. Osprey has a white belly..is smaller than a hawk and is thinner...it has crooked wings (which looks very cool) and its tail feathers are more narrow than the hawk. The osprey only lays between one and four eggs, once a year, and the nestlings hatch in about 35 to 42 days. It is an unusual species, not closely related to any other bird of prey. 14 Fun Facts About Sea Hawks Number one: There’s no such thing as a “seahawk” An osprey, commonly called a sea hawk. Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide, the Osprey is often seen flying over the water, hovering, and then plunging feet-first to catch fish in its talons. Even after learning about osprey, people have trouble telling the difference between them and bald eagles. The female lays one to four (usually three) eggs in the spring in a large nest of sticks constructed at the top of a dead tree. It is neither a hawk or an eagle. (Photo by Gareth Rasberry) … It is brown above and white below, with some white on the head. While hunting, an osprey sometimes plunges deep enough into the water in order to momentarily submerge its entire body. Ospreys feed primarily on live fish, which they catch by using their long, hooked talons. Barbed pads on the soles of the birds' feet help them grip slippery fish. There are dark carpal patches on the underwing (at the bend in the wing). If a successful hunt is observed by a bald eagle it will chase the osprey until it drops its meal. Ospreys fly with a marked kink in their wings, making an M-shape when seen from below. When flying with prey, an Osprey lines up its catch head first for less wind resistance. If the Bald Eagle persists, several Ospreys may band together and drive it away. Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus). Ospreys are a bird of many names! Ospreys are excellent anglers. A very distinctive fish-hawk, formerly classified with other hawks but now placed in a separate family of its own. 1. Btw i have personally seen hawks kill or go after other birds..and even chickens. The nestlings spend nearly two months in the nest before venturing off on their own. The female is similar to the male but is larger and has a fuller, darker breast band. Photo Luke Delve.    Considered a rare bird in the UK, the Osprey is one of the most widely distributed birds of prey in the world. Wrist: Ospreys have a prominent dark patch right at the wrist of the wing. Occasionally an osprey sinks its talons into a fish so large it drowns the bird and both float to shore still attached. Great horned owls also sometimes rob ospreys. The density of the patch can vary and could be confused with the rough-legged hawk, but … They are commonly referred to as “western ospreys,” “fish hawks,” “sea hawks,” and “river hawks.” As their many pseudonyms may suggest, these birds of prey are almost always associated with water bodies. Ospreys are very large, distinctively shaped hawks. It is found on every continent except Antarctica; its diet and affinity for coastlines have earned it the nicknames “sea hawk” and “fish hawk.” Despite their size, their bodies are slender, with long, narrow wings and long legs. Check out Osprey-Hawk's art on DeviantArt. The osprey is a bird of prey that comprises one species in the family Pandionidae. Pandion haliaetus Osprey. The beak is strongly hooked and the legs are powerful. The Osprey is also called the Fish Hawk or White-headed Osprey. Other than their coloring being different, there are seven other key differences between osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).