Yes, I know. "Osprey?" you may think incredulously. "What the scratch does this person want with osprey?" Or maybe even, "What are osprey?"
Well, osprey (large, white-and-brown fish-eating raptors) are my favorite birds. My favorite animals, even. So, I want to do a story about them. I found a few sites giving some basic behavioral info concerning the birds, but I was hoping to know more about their personality and social life. This may seem weird, but I love fantasy and want everything to be believable at the same time (unless it's not supposed to be...). Call me crazy, but I want the osprey I write about to act more or less like normal osprey (that don't talk and think like humans, and have mad combat skills and magic and whatnot...)
So, I was just hoping some cool ornithologists out there will see this and give me some pointers. I know when and where they live, reproduce, how many eggs they lay and what color, what they eat... their aquilan enemies... but I just wanted to know more about their interactions with other unrelated osprey and maybe what they do when they aren't hunting or watching their chicks.
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50,015 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 17 45
There is a fairly decent Wikipedia article on Osprey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osprey
They live all around the world, I've seen them in California, Canada, over the Red Sea in Egypt, in Florida and in Australia. Anywhere with slightly shallow water and fish.
When they aren't feeding or nesting they tend to be perched, often preening, which is important in all flighted birds. Some time is also spent bathing. In some cases they spend time defending their nesting site from other ospreys. Many non-tropical osprey are migratory, so they would spend a lot of time travelling great distances.
Like seabirds and other birds that eat fish ospreys are not territorial for feeding grounds (unlike many birds) they are instead territorial for nesting spots, which are limited and in demand. They are generally anti-social with regard to other ospreys (except the pair-bonded partners), although they will form small roosting flocks in their wintering grounds where no nesting sites are being contested.
In North America Bald Eagles take nestlings and on occasion adults, a more important enemy is the Great Horned Owl. In Africa there have been reports that crocodiles take adults while bathing or drinking, this is probably an occasional hazard in the Americas and Australia too.
I can send you some more specific stuff if you have more questions.
----------2003: St Augustine's Chickens (w)
2004: Arcanagencia (w)
2005: The Exile War (w)
2006: The Exile's Return (w)
2007: The March Beyond Progress
50,035 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 19 07
I'm not a professional, but I grew up in an area where there were a lot of ospreys. In a...I'd say 10-15 mile stretch of highway along the river I once counted I think...4-6 nests. Usually, I'd see the osprey sitting on powerlines or in the nests.
There was one particular pair that nested on this island between two bridges and going from out island to the mainland (It's set up like island-island-mainland), I'd see them everyday I'd go to school for three years. I got to see two sets of chicks too. Since, I still go past on a fairly regular basis and there was a period of a couple years where they were missing, then either they or another pair came back to that site. It's pretty cool driving along the bridge and having an osprey fly at window level with a fish in it's talons.
Other than that, I don't know much.
Cheers,
----------Syka
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NaNo 06- Mother Nature Is Red(Supernatural horror/thriller/suspense)- Won
NaNo 07- Stuck in the Middle (Unknown)-????
[img]http://pinkness.freepgs.com/nanowrimo/mt_130207_-5.gif[/img]
50,195 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 19 16
I found this osprey journal that might be helpful:
http://postmorrow.org/OspreyFund/ospreyfaq0716.htm
It primarily follows the development of the brood, with cute anecdotes thrown in.
----------2005: A Band Of Trolls (not a winner. Aw.)
2006: Knifeclaw Company (not a winner. Awww.)
2007: The Monster Collinswood (Winner!)
50,076 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 19 26
Awesome. Osprey don't seem to be birds of personality like crows and cuckoos and such birds are, so everything is appreciated. Thanks for the info. Sunbird: that's really interesting about the predators. So great horned owls are even worse than bald eagles to osprey? hai-kah-uhk: I don't believe I found that site during my search, so thank you for the link.
----------50,015 / 50,000
oct. 3, 2007 - 20 01
What the major predator of the bird is depends on where it is, mind. In Africa it's top predator might be Pel's Fishing Owl or a troop of baboons, in Australia it would be a Sea Eagle and a goanna.
Also worth remembering that these are apex predators so it is mostly chicks that get eaten, once they reach adulthood survival is really good. Eggs might get taken by mammals too, like racoons or mink.
----------2003: St Augustine's Chickens (w)
2004: Arcanagencia (w)
2005: The Exile War (w)
2006: The Exile's Return (w)
2007: The March Beyond Progress
52,103 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2007 - 14 40
I just found this thread and I love Osprey so wanted to contribute to your search for information. One of the most remarkable behaviors that sets Osprey apart from other fish-hunters is their habit of carrying home the fish in an aerodynamic way. All other fish eaters carry the fish sideways but the Osprey adjust their feet to hold the fish facing forward so its streamlined shape does not detract from the aerodynamic shape of the bird itself.
I once observed a pair of Osprey terrorizing a juvenile Bald Eagle. They took over a traditional Bald Eagle nest despite having numerous other nesting sites on the islands scattered around Boothbay Harbor.
The cry of an Osprey says "Maine" to me because that's where I observe them. You can hear the sound if you check out the link below: I depend on Cornell for my bird information. Have you seen this?
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Osprey.html
Mary
DeKalb, IL Wrimos
50,076 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2007 - 15 26
I think I have, but thanks. :)
I think I have enough general info now... but I must wonder what would happen if an osprey were born with an extra claw on one foot. If it were in the right place, could it screw up its ability to hold certain things, or to move its outer toe? I'm mainly wondering what sort of defects an osprey could have that wouldn't lead it to an early death, but at least give it some minor trouble. Also, what kind of problems would albinism give an osprey, if any? (I watched The Thing last night, which is why I'm suddenly interested in defects...^^;)
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