[element_block_heading _id="220629" heading="Osprey" style="default"]

 

Man-made nesting platforms built over water and a pesticide ban restored our country’s osprey population. Nicknamed the ‘Fish Hawk,’ the Osprey’s hunting style is to plunge feet first into the water to catch a fish at or just below the surface. The fish is then quickly carried to a nearby roost, away from the watchful eye of a hungry Bald Eagle. In flight, the white belly of the Osprey identifies it from the brown belly of the Bald Eagle.

Latin Name: Pandion Haliaetus

Habitat:Marsh, River

Diet: fish

Species Alert! Species of Special Concern in the Lower Florida Keys