# Osprey (*Pandion haliaetus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/osprey  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a bird of prey in the family Pandionidae, order Accipitriformes. It is a medium-sized, migratory aquatic predator and carnivore with a marine habitat and an aerial foraging lifestyle. Adults weigh 1.483 kg, with reported values from 1.428 to 1.627 kg, and the wingspan is 1.6 m. It lays 3 eggs per clutch with 1 clutch per year, incubation lasts 37.5 days, sexual maturity comes at 3 years, and the IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.43 kg – 1.63 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 1.6 m |
| Lifespan | 25 years – 32 years |
| Diet | Aquatic predator |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine |
| Egg incubation | 37.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 3 |
| Age at maturity | 3 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Aerial |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | 1 country |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Accipitriformes
- family: Pandionidae
- genus: Pandion
- species: *Pandion haliaetus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Aquila anataria*, *Aquila balbuzardus*, *Aquila fluviatilis*, *Aquila marina*, *Aquila pyrenaica*, *Falco haliaetus*, *Falco pedibus ceraque*, *Ichthyaetus piscivorus*, *Pandion haliaetus friedmanni*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

Australia

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the osprey?

The osprey is a bird of prey in the family Pandionidae and the order Accipitriformes.

### How big is the osprey?

The osprey has a wingspan of 1.6 m and adults weigh 1.483 kg, with reported values from 1.428 to 1.627 kg. It is classed as medium-sized.

### What does the osprey eat?

The osprey is an aquatic predator and a carnivore.

### Is the osprey endangered?

No. The osprey is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does an osprey live?

The osprey has a lifespan of 25 years, and sources report up to 32 years.

### How many eggs does an osprey lay?

The osprey lays 3 eggs per clutch, with 1 clutch per year, and incubation lasts 37.5 days.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/osprey