Osprey are found worldwide with two main species identified, the Western, found in Europe, Asia and the Americas, and the Eastern Osprey, found between Indonesia, Australia and New Caledonia.
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In Australia the Eastern Osprey is found all around the coast, except Victoria and Tasmania.
It is uncommon to rare along the closely settled parts of SE Australia and in NSW is classified as "vulnerable".
These birds have dark brownish upperparts and are white underneath.
The whitish head has a black stripe through the eye and the female has a dark, streaky collar.
They are found only in terrestrial wetlands of tropical and temperate Australia and offshore islands.
Very occasionally Osprey are seen inland along rivers, but they favour coastal areas.
In Maitland there is a pair nesting on the lights at No 1 Sportsground, a common site in the absence of suitable trees.
Breeding occurs from July to September in NSW and two to three eggs are produced.
The female remains with the chicks until they fly which is about nine weeks after hatching.
Young birds disperse widely and have been recorded 400 kilometres away from the nesting site.
Eastern Osprey are sedentary and faithful to a nest site, using the nest for many years.
This behaviour has prompted many councils to help the birds by providing "nest baskets" or platforms, specifically designed to accommodate the nest of raptors and a safer alternative to the possibility of electrocution from electricity poles and lights.
Like all raptors, they are beautiful in flight and these birds are large, with a wingspan of about 1.7 metres.
Osprey feed on fish up to 2 kilograms and can be seen patrolling the coast or river system searching for lunch.
Once a potential meal is sighted, the bird folds its wings and drops headlong with its feet forward and snatches the fish with its talons.
The catch is then taken to a suitable feeding perch and torn apart and eaten.
There are many threats to their survival.
These include the removal of large trees that have been or could be used as nest sites, decline in water quality from effluent discharge and storm-water runoff, and the ingestion of fish containing discarded fishing tackle.
Beach walking is an ideal place to see these beautiful creatures and you might even witness their hunting technique firsthand.
Hunter Bird Observer's Club website can be found at www.hboc.org.au or follow us on Facebook.
