A fish-catching raptor with a white head crossed by a dark eye stripe. On Hachijojima it is seen near the coast in winter.
The wings are dark above and white below, making the pale underside conspicuous in flight.
Ospreys less than a year old can cross the Atlantic. Young birds tracked south from the northeastern United States travelled through day and night to Caribbean islands. Nine making landfall covered an average open-ocean distance of about 2,160 kilometres, far beyond their earlier local flights.
A 2014 study examined ten ocean-crossers among 24 juveniles tagged in New England. Nine were tagged on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and one in New Hampshire. Analysis of track segments revealed nearly constant courses over long distances. Combining tracks with weather models indicated compensation for sideways wind drift despite changing winds.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
In Connecticut, pesticide-related eggshell thinning and coastal wetland development historically threatened ospreys. The state reports that pesticide restrictions, habitat protection, nest monitoring and artificial platforms supported regional recovery. Discarded fishing line and other entangling litter, along with disturbance at breeding nests, remain concerns. Protecting nesting sites and waterways and preventing litter are continuing conservation priorities.