The Osprey of Hilton Head

The osprey are an amazing animal, you will see them soaring through the air looking for their next meal. Locally they are known as “fish hawks.” The picture you see above is a picture of an Osprey nest on one of the pilings in Broad Creek, this was taken during one of our dolphin and nature cruises.

Osprey are part of the hawk family, they are a carnivorous bird. In the air they are commonly mistaken for eagles. The easiest way to tell the difference is osprey have a white belly, eagles have a brown underbelly. I will be covering eagles in another article, this week we are focusing on Osprey. Osprey can be around 2 feet tall and have a wing span up to 6 feet. They molt several times before reaching 18 months. Live fish are their primary diet. The fish are caught by the Ospreys sharp curved talons. Their talons are sharp and curved, on their “toes” are small spikes that keep the fish from slipping out while flying. The Osprey are able to dive into the water to catch their prey.

Osprey typically live near the water, making their nests off the ground, on pilings, bridges and channel markers are examples of where you could see their nests. They mate in the spring, mostly in the month of March and mate for life. During the breeding period the female does not leave the nest, the male usually brings her all of her meals. Osprey usually lay 2-4 eggs and incubation is around 40 days. Young Osprey fledge the nest around 40-60 days and stay with their parents for an additional 6 weeks. They reach breeding maturity around 3 years old.

Osprey are one of the wonderful birds that can be seen on our Dolphin & Nature Tour.