04.25.22 ~~Fun Osprey Facts~~

The osprey is a large raptor, often known as the “fish hawk.”  Both male and female osprey work together to create the nest. Once eggs are laid (typically 1-3), the osprey take turns incubating the eggs. The family diet is 99% fish, supplemented with other reptiles and crustaceans. When the chicks are 10 days old, they are already mobile and eat between one and three pounds of food per day.

Females usually lay three eggs between mid-April and late May, which are speckled with beige and brown spots. Incubation lasts for 38 to 42 days. Eggs do not hatch at the same time. The first chick may hatch as many as five days before the last one, and the oldest chick often dominates over the younger nestlings.