One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
With 99% of their diet comprised of live fish, ospreys are amazing fishers. Diving from 10-40 metres above the water, they extend their legs forward in front of their head and plunge feet-first into the water1!
While their main diet is fish, they tend to be picky eaters and focus on a few species regardless of how many of them are in the water. When learning to hunt, without the aid of the parents, young osprey chicks focus on one species of fish until they master the art of catching it1.
Fish delivery 
Fish delivery
The young get their first taste of fish from their parents. Usually the male brings back a fish (or portion of a fish) and presents it to the female. She then rips off parts of flesh and feeds it to the chicks in a unique way. Instead of offering the fish to a specific chick, like robins, she offers it into a window in space. Whoever gets there first gets the food. This ensures that in lean years when fish is not abundant the most dominant chick survives2. In good years with lots of fish arriving at the nest, all of the chicks will survive, just like this year!
Koi delivery Koi delivery
Sometimes they find exotic fish! Like these Koi.
To Band Or Not To Band?
Birds are often seen wearing some flashy jewelry on one of their legs. This silver band is more than just for looks. Each one has a unique number and can serve as a way to identify individual birds.
But why band birds? Bird banding is the most cost effective way to provide data for scientific research. By banding birds scientists can monitor individuals and populations, as well as study the movement of birds. This information is then used to help with management and conservation of bird species3.
On July 27, George Halmazna and Bill Dubreuil banded our three osprey chicks. The following is a series of pictures and a video from that day.
Banding Banding
Additional Videos and Pictures
Keeping it clean Keeping it clean
Nest repair - green leaves Nest repair - green leaves
Nest repair Nest repair
Nest repair Nest repair
Flapping Flapping
1. Poole, Alan F., Rob O. Bierregaard and Mark S. Martell. 2002. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the B irds of North American Online; http:bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/683doi:10.2173/bna.683
2. Steeger, Chris. July 9th 2008. Personal Communication
3. Buckley, P.A., C.M. Francis, P. Blancerh, D.F. DeSante, C.S. Robbins, G. Smith, P. Cannell. 1998. The North American Bird Banding Program: Into the 21St Century. Journal of Field Ornithology. 69(4): 511-69