What do Ospreys eat?

Ospreys eat live fish – and not much else!

A Flounder They’ll eat fish from rivers and lakes (freshwater), and from the sea (saltwater). In Scotland, they mostly eat brown trout, rainbow trout, perch and pike in freshwaters; and flounders, sea trout and – further south – grey mullet in estuaries.

To catch a fish, an Osprey hovers over the water. Sometimes they’ll sit on a perch. As soon as they spot a fish near the surface, the Osprey dives into the water with its wings swept back, thrusting the talons on their feet forward at the last minute.

It doesn’t always work! On average, an adult Osprey catches a fish on one of four dives, but some are not such skilled fishers. Juvenile Ospreys need a lot more practice.

They can carry fish that weigh up to one kg. They fly with one foot in front of the other, holding the fish facing forward to cut air resistance, and can easily fly about eight miles (13 km) in this way, sometimes even further.

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