Osprey VS Eagles
On my charters out of Matlacha and Pine Island Sound, my onboard guests often mistake an osprey for an eagle. In terms of size, eagles are much larger than ospreys.
Ospreys only grow to be about 4.5 pounds in weight and 33 inches tall, with a wingspan of 59-70 inches.
Eagles grow to be 15.4 pounds in weight and 39 inches tall, with a wingspan of 80 inches.
Eagles are very large and powerful birds, but that doesn’t mean ospreys are weak. Ospreys are very capable of hunting for their meal of choice, fish. They hunt by hovering over the water, locking their eyes onto a fish, and then diving feet-first into the water to grab it with their talons.
They will then rearrange the fish in their talons to a head-first position for more aerodynamic flight. They are one of the few raptor species that primarily subsist on fish, earning them the nickname “fish hawks”. On rare occasions, when fish are scarce, osprey will eat small rodents, rabbits, and birds.
Eagles hunt and consume a wide variety of species, including mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, and even newborn deer. They also eat birds, reptiles, and carrion.
Because of the difference in the diet of the eagle and osprey, we do not see many eagles over the water. When we do see them, they are often fighting for the osprey’s fish!
Only the adult bald eagles have the distinctive while tail feathers.
Young bald eagles are mostly brown, gradually gaining their white tail and head, as well as their bright yellow legs and bills, as they mature over their first 4-5 years. It’s clear to see why people can mistake the young bald eagle for an osprey.
They are somewhat similar in size and color when young, but one of the telltale signs of an osprey is the dark eye stripes which look like the sidebar of a pair of sunglasses. The adult eagle has a white head with no stripes on the side.
Ospreys have yellow eyes and white heads with a distinctive black eye stripe that sets them apart from eagles. They are year-round residents in Florida along the Gulf Coast. They have several different calls, usually accompanied by a specific posture or aerial display, which they use for alarm, courtship, begging, and defending their nests.
Adult bald eagles are primarily dark brown with distinctive white heads and tails, a bright yellow beak, and yellow eyes. Immature bald eagles are a mottled brown and white. They don’t acquire the adult plumage until they are around 4-5 years old.
Capt. Cathy Eagle
Capt. Cathy's Boat Tours
Matlacha, Florida
(239) 994-2572
www.CaptainCathy.com
