Fish Hawk
CR

Fish Hawk

Pandion haliaetus

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Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

The osprey, historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and a wingspan of 180 cm (71 in). It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.

The Western Osprey faces critical threats from widespread habitat degradation, pollution of aquatic ecosystems, and climate change impacts on fish populations. Persistent organic pollutants like DDT continue to cause eggshell thinning and reproductive failure in many populations, while coastal development and dam construction destroy essential nesting and foraging areas.

Threat summary

Habitat

Coastal waters, large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs with abundant fish populations, requiring tall structures or trees near water for nesting. Found in both freshwater and marine environments from sea level to moderate elevations, with preference for clear waters that allow visual hunting of fish prey.

FRESHWATER· majorMARINE· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Frequently asked questions

Why is Fish Hawk classified as Critically Endangered?
Fish Hawk is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Western Osprey faces critical threats from widespread habitat degradation, pollution of aquatic ecosystems, and climate change impacts on fish populations. Persistent organic pollutants like DDT continue to cause eggshell thinning and reproductive failure in many populations, while coastal development and dam construction destroy essential nesting and foraging areas.
Where does Fish Hawk live?
Fish Hawk occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Fish Hawk?
The main threats to Fish Hawk are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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