Here’s how to tell an Osprey from other birds. Remember, if you spot one of our tagged Ospreys, please let us know!.
On the head: White, with distinctive dark stripe over the eye, and dark flecks; noticeable short crest.
On the body: Dark brown on the upperparts of the body and wings; underparts white with buff and brown streaks on the upper breast.
On the wings: Brown above, white below with pale grey, black and brown markings.
On the tail: Brown with buff banding.
| Female | Male | |
|---|---|---|
| Wingspan (cm) | 154-170 | 147-166 |
| Length (cm) | 57-62 | 56-60 |
| Tail (cm) | 20-23 | 19-21 |
| Weight (g) | 1600-1900 | 1200-1500 |
Ospreys make whistled notes that vary in pitch and intensity, depending on whether they’re displaying, begging for food, objecting to the presence of another Osprey or alarmed by humans or potential predators.
(Get the Flash Player or enable Javascript to see our mp3 player and hear the Osprey call for yourself.)
You could see Ospreys almost anywhere in the UK during their spring and autumn migrations. The main breeding sites are in mainland Scotland north of Stirling and Perth, in habitats as diverse as Scots pine forests, rivers and freshwater lochs, as well as farmland and estuaries. Smaller numbers breed in southern Scotland. And small numbers breed in England, at Rutland Water Nature Reserve and Bassenthwaite Lake in the Lake District, and in North Wales.
Here are the main sites.
World-renowned ornithologist Roy Dennis is the man behind the work of the Highland Foundation for Wildlife. Read on...
Logie, one of our Ospreys,
is set to feature in a major
BBC Radio 4 documentary
on migration. Read on...
How protected are Ospreys? What more can we do to ensure they’re safe from persecution? Read on...