Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

County List:

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

Nesting and Foraging Habitat Requirements may be distributed over the NEIGHBORHOOD

Nesting Habitat 1st alternative:
      (Any Lowland Mixed (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or Man-made Structures
      or Snags
   adjacent to:
      (Lake or River)

Nesting Habitat 2nd alternative:
      (Lake or River)
   containing:
      (Man-made Structures or Snags)

Foraging Habitat:
      Lake 
      or River

Habitat List:

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Literature:

Habitat: For effective foraging the osprey requires expanses of open, clear, preferably shallow water. In Michigan, most Osprey nests are found in two types of natural situations: (1) in dead trees, killed by inundation, in beaver or human-made floodings or along the fringes of lakes and streams; or (2) in conifer swamps, where nests are placed in tall pines, flat-topped hemlocks, or topped spruces or tamaracks, occasionally up to several miles from the nearest water body. Ospreys readily accept nest platforms placed in appropriate habitat.

Habitat: Breeding: Near large bodies of water that support abundant fish. Birds nest along rivers and lakes but greatest densities occur along the coast at estuaries.

Special Habitat Requirements: Clean water with adequate supply of fish. Elevated nest sites.

Habitat: Rivers, lakes, coast. Found near water, either fresh or salt, where large numbers of fish are present. May be most common around major coastal estuaries and salt marshes, but also regular around large lakes, reservoirs, rivers.

Diet: Almost entirely fish. Typically feeds on fish 4-12 inches long. Type of fish varies with region; concentrates on species common in each locale, such as flounder, smelt, mullet, bullhead, sucker, gizzard shad. Aside from fish, rarely eats small mammals, birds, or reptiles, perhaps mainly when fish are scarce.

Nest: Site is usually on top of large tree (often dead or broken top) not far from water. Also nests on utility poles, duck blinds, other structures, including poles put up for them. May nest on ground on small islands, or on cliffs or on giant cactus in western Mexico. Site typically very open to sky. Nest is bulky pile of sticks, lined with smaller materials. Birds may use the same nest for years, adding material each year, so that the nest becomes huge.