Statistics: Body length 60cm, wingspan 150cm, weight 1.8kg.
Physical Description: The wings are white below, marked with brown. The
legs and feet are grey/green in colour, with thorny protuberances so that they
can hang onto the slippery fish. Adult birds are dark brown above and white below,
and young birds have brown feathers with white tips. They have a distinctive brown
breast band which is more prominent in females. The head is white with a thick,
dark brown stripe through the eye.
Scottish Distribution: Breeds on the mainland, from Dornoch to Lomond.
Habitat: In Scotland, ospreys nest in trees, usually near lochs and rivers.
In other parts of their range, they will also nest on sea cliffs and on the ground.
Diet: Ospreys feed exclusively on fish, mostly trout and pike in Scotland.
They plunge into the water to catch prey, with talons that are well adapted to
gripping fish.
Latin Name: Pandion haliaetus
