Species: Pandion haliaetus
Popular and common variants / subspecies / other names: Also known as a seahawk or a fishhawk
Geographic distribution: The osprey is found worldwide except for Antarctica. In North America, it is found from northern Canada down through most of South America.
Environment: The osprey lives along coasts, rivers, and near bodies of water in forests.
Physical description: The osprey is a bird of prey that weighs approximately 3.5 pounds, measures approximately 24 inches long, and has a wingspan averaging 5 feet. Its plumage is glossy brown to black on the back, white sometimes streaked with brown on the chest, and white underneath. The osprey’s tail is short, the wings are long and pointed, and the dark bill is the classic sharply hooked raptor shape.
Interesting facts: The osprey is one of the largest birds of prey in North America. It builds its nest on the top of manmade structures such as telephone poles and buoys, and reuses its nest year after year. The osprey’s main diet is fish, which it catches by diving into the water feet first. In order to catch fish more efficiently the osprey has developed small barbs on the undersides of its feet.
Myths, folklore, and cultural associations: Greek mythology tells us that King Nisos of Megara was transformed into an osprey to attack his daughter after she fell in love with Minos, king of Crete.
According to Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, ospreys made their young fly as close to the sun as they could as a test of their strength and courage, and killed any that failed. English folklore says that seeing an osprey is good luck, but to only hear its scream is bad luck. It was also believed that if an osprey was shot along a coast, the fish would disappear.
Bolivian hunters believed that if they inserted osprey bones under their skin, they, too, would become efficient, successful hunters like the osprey.
An old European folk belief held that fish were naturally so overcome by this bird of prey that they surrendered to it by rolling over in the water so that the osprey could just pick them up, a suggestion that the osprey demonstrated the natural order of things. Another European folk belief said that ospreys had two different feet, one taloned for catching fish and the other webbed for swimming.
The osprey is the provincial bird of Nova Scotia. Although sometimes called a sea eagle, the osprey is not related to the eagle family in any way.
Omens and divinatory meaning: The osprey, like other raptors, offers the message of perception and acute vision. Its success in abundantly providing for itself and its family also brings a favorable omen for your own success and state of abundance.
The osprey can encourage you to jump into something feet first. Don’t overdeliberate an issue; observe, make your decision, and jump! Be certain of your goal, have confidence, and trust yourself.
Associated energies: Perception, abundance, success
Associated seasons: Summer, fall
Element associations: Water, air
Color associations: Brown, white