All birds Osprey
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Passes through in April and again in September to October.
Recorded by Paul Marvin. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, via xeno-canto, trimmed and volume evened out.
Look for
- Dark brown on top and white underneath.
- A white head with a dark stripe across the side of the face.
- Long, narrow wings with a sharp bend. Under each wing, look for a dark patch at the bend.
A little about it
Ospreys pass through here. Look for them in April, then again in September and October. October has the most.
It eats almost nothing but fish. It flies slowly over the water and stops to hover when it spots one. Then it dives in feet first and grabs the fish with its sharp claws, called talons.
It carries the fish in its feet, with the fish's head pointing forward. A Bald Eagle may chase an Osprey until it drops its fish, and then the eagle takes it.
Ospreys build a big pile of sticks on top of a tall tree near water. They also nest on poles, duck blinds, chimneys, and even school buildings. The young fly for the first time when they're about 7 or 8 weeks old.
Fun fact
Ospreys use the same nest year after year, and they add more sticks each time. A nest can get so big that it weighs half a ton. That's 1,000 pounds!
When it's here
- January: not here
- February: not here
- March: a few
- April: here
- May: a few
- June: a few
- July: not here
- August: not here
- September: here
- October: here
- November: a few
- December: not here
Taller bars mean more sightings. Most often seen in October.
How big
21 to 24 inches, with wings up to 6 feet across. Bigger than a crow, with very long wings.
Where to look
Big lakes and rivers with lots of fish. Look for one flying slowly over the water. When it's migrating, it may fly over places far from water too.
People have spotted it at Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge, Lake Hefner, Martin Park Nature Center.
Could it be something else?
Bald Eagle
Also big and brown and white, and it catches fish too. But a grown eagle has a dark brown belly and a white tail. An Osprey's belly is white.
Ring-billed Gull
Far away, a soaring Osprey can look like a big gull. Look for the dark stripe on its face and the dark patch at the bend of each wing.
Where these facts come from
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation field guide
- Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- When it's here: Sightings shared on iNaturalist in the 8 counties, all years.