Alert Osprey On Nest Protecting Fledglings Waiting For Mate To Return Stock Photo

The osprey or more specifically the western osprey Pandion haliaetus also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 24 in length and 71 in across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts. Mated ospreys stay together for life and return to the same nest year after year to rear their offspring. Each year osprey arrive in the Finger Lakes in March and April after flying up to four thousand miles from their wintering grounds in the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Males tend to arrive a few days ahead of females, to stake claim of suitable nesting sites. Older, experienced breeders are the first to reach the nesting grounds, followed a few weeks later by younger ones. First-time nesting ospreys often get a late start breeding since they tend to arrive later than mature, established pairs, and must court and build a nest before they can lay eggs. Mated pairs tend to arrive from migration earlier than younger, inexperienced birds and usually have only a few repairs to make to the nest before courting and egg laying can begin. The earlier the pair start their families, the longer their chicks will have to develop into capable juveniles before leaving on their first fall migration.