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Osprey

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Pandion haliaetus
Osprey

Range

They spend the winter in the southern U.S. to South America. They are also in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia. They breed in Alaska, across Canada, south along the coasts to Mexico and the Caribbean. They also breed in Eurasia, Middle East, Australia, and Indonesia.

Habitat

They are found along rivers, ponds and lakes.

Body Traits

Osprey are dark above and white below. They have a white head with a dark line across the side of the face. Their wings have a crook in the middle that you can see when they fly overhead. Their eyes are yellow. Males and females look the same, though females may be larger.

Habits

They dive for fish, catching them in their feet (talons). Sometimes they dive completely under water to catch fish.

Diet

They eat fish.

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District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

They build a large nest of sticks, lined with grass. The female lays 1- 4 white to pink eggs with dark spots.

Osprey

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vetebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Pandionidae
Genus:  Pandion
Species: P. haliaetus

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