An Osprey is seen perched in a tree on the Las Lisas beach, in Santa Rosa, Guatemala. The osprey, (Pandion haliaetus) historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. The osprey is the second most widely distributed raptor species, after the peregrine falcon, and is one of only six land-birds with a worldwide distribution. It is a large raptor that tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant. As its other common names suggest, the osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish. It possesses specialized physical characteristics and unique behavior in hunting its prey like reversible outer toes, sharp spicules on the underside of the toes, closable nostrils to keep out water during dives, a well-adapted vision to detect objects underwater, angle adaptability in-flight to account for the distortion of the fish's image caused by refraction when hunting, backward-facing scales on the talons which act as barbs to help hold its catch, and dense plumage which is oily and prevents its feathers from getting waterlogged. The osprey is piscivorous, with fish making up 99% of its diet. They catch fish by diving into a body of water, oftentimes completely submerging their entire bodies. Occasionally, the osprey may prey on rodents, rabbits, hares, other mammals, snakes, turtles, frogs, birds, salamanders, conchs, and crustaceans. The osprey breeds near freshwater lakes and rivers, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters. As wide as 2 meters and weighing about 135 kg (298 lb), large nests on utility poles may be fire hazards and have caused power outages. Ospreys usually mate for life. Rarely, polyandry has been recorded.
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