Osprey

Resident and migrant. Always near water, inland or coastal.
Reefchief scientist Abdullah Alsuhaibani will post more comments on these birds, I was just glad to identify them, i'm just the scout photographer.

Osprey is large raptor and more related to eagles and hawks but feed mainly on live fish which they catch in the shallow waters. It is recorded in almost each island in the southern part of the Red Sea. The osprey population in the Red Sea are more resident with localized migration out side the breeding season. During the breeding season, osprey usually returns to the same nesting site on the offshore island (some times on clevis on the main land) and use the same nest every year. It is been known that osprey mate for life and raise their young together for about six months. Live of this unique bird need to be studied in details in order to conserve them.

Abdullah Alsuhaibani
ReefChief Scientist
(23 May 2006)