NPS photo It is easy to see osprey at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in the spring and summer. The osprey is a hawk-like bird that is dark brown and white, and about two feet tall with a wingspan of as much as 6 feet. Osprey feed mainly on fish like catfish, carp, blowfish, eels, mullet, salmon, and goldfish. Ospreys hunt by flying high in the sky to about 30-100 ft, and then diving down to the water to catch their prey. Males and females stay together for life. They lay up to 3 eggs with brown spots on them. We have several breeding pairs of osprey in Jamaica Bay. The nest pictured here is visible from the West Pond Trail. - Taylor Ramos |
Last updated: February 26, 2015