Osprey Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758)    Synonyms: American Osprey, Fish Hawk, OSPR, Pandion haliaetus carolinensis.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Aves   >   Order Accipitriformes   >   Family Pandioidae   >   Genus Pandion   

Status:

Common near large bodies of water throughout Maryland. Much more common along the coast and the Chesapeake Bay and the bays larger tributaries. The Osprey is migratory and usually shows up in Maryland sometime during the month of March and will stay through early October.

Description:

The large black and white "fish hawk" is unmistakable.

Relationships:

Osprey rely completely on a diet of fish. They can be found near any body of water that has a fish population.

There are 1,890 records in the project database.

View full eBird Range Map

View taxon at iNaturalist

View taxon at NatureServe

Search Google Images

Search MBP Facebook posts (beta | requires login)


[View seasonality details]
GA AL WA FR CL MO HO BA BC HA CE PG AA CV CH SM KE QA CN TA DO WI SO WO 
An Osprey in Harford Co., Maryland (3/13/2019). Photo by Andrew Clemens. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/15/2012). Photo by Jon Corcoran. (MBP list)

A pair of nesting Osprey in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (3/22/2017). Photo by Emily Carter Mitchell. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Charles Co., Maryland (3/23/2017). Photo by William Wise. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/3/2016). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/29/2016). Photo by Robert Ferraro. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Charles Co., Maryland (4/4/2017). Photo by William Wise. (MBP list)

Osprey in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (5/18/2008). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Osprey in Talbot Co., Maryland (4/4/2017). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

An Osprey at Andelot Farm, Kent Co., Maryland (6/7/2014). Photo by Ashley Bradford. (MBP list)

Osprey in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (3/28/2017). Photo by William Wise. (MBP list)

Osprey in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (5/3/2008). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A family of Ospreys in Talbot Co., Maryland (7/6/2023). Adults are in the back and juveniles are in the front. (c) portofbaltimore, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by portofbaltimore via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Kent Co., Maryland (8/28/2015). Photo by Bill Keim. (MBP list)

An Osprey with prey in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/12/2015). Photo by Max Wilson. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Charles Co., Maryland (4/12/2017). Photo by William Wise. (MBP list)

An Osprey with Goldfish prey in Harford Co., Maryland (8/18/2016). Photo by Matthew Addicks. (MBP list)

Osprey nest with nestling in Dorchester Co., Maryland (6/20/2015). (c) rauvbbj, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by rauvbbj via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Growing Osprey chicks in their nest in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/10/2022). (c) rfreddy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by rfreddy via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Osprey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/24/2007). (c) Bill Hubick, all rights reserved. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A nestling Osprey in Calvert Co., Maryland (7/7/2022). (c) Alina Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Alina Martin via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Osprey being harassed by a Bald Eagle at Fort Smallwood Park, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/2/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Osprey carrying a Goldfish in Harford Co., Maryland (7/26/2017). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

A nestling Osprey in Calvert Co., Maryland (7/7/2022). (c) Alina Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Alina Martin via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Talbot Co., Maryland (8/14/2017). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Osprey in Montgomery Co., Maryland (4/14/2020). (c) Stephen John Davies, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Stephen John Davies via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Osprey in Worcester Co., Maryland (12/3/2011). Rarely detected in winter. Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Osprey in Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/2/2021). (c) Emily L. Stanley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

Osprey with nesting material in Baltimore Co., Maryland (5/2/2021). (c) laurabankey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by laurabankey via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Cecil Co., Maryland (4/2/2017). Photo by Mark Johnson. (MBP list)

An Osprey in Charles Co., Maryland (4/30/2017). Photo by William Wise. (MBP list)

Osprey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/7/2019). (c) Jenny Glenn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jenny Glenn via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Osprey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (7/7/2021). (c) Alina Martin, all rights reserved. Photo by Alina Martin via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Osprey with Northern Snakehead prey in Dorchester Co., Maryland (5/28/2023). (c) Dennis Tarnay, Jr., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND). Photo by Dennis Tarnay, Jr. via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Osprey in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/15/2022). (c) Allen Browne, some rights reserved (CC BY). Photo by Allen Browne via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Osprey and a Bald Eagle in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/7/2014). Photo by Lynn Strauss. (MBP list)


View All Images

Use of images featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.