This occurs when the males feed their mates just before the female lays her eggs. In certain situations a series of calls accompany the feeding. The female uses these calls to indicate to her mate that she needs more food in order to produce healthy offspring. In addition to feeding, males also watch over their mates, protecting them in the days before they lay eggs. The courtship feeding prepares the female for reproduction.
Copulation begins at or around the nesting site.
The male flies around and lands on the back of the female using his tarsi to grasp her. If a positive connection has occured, the female moves forward and allows the male to transfer sperm. The forward movement continues until copulation is completed. In the case of rejection of a mate, the female tips the opposite way, causing the male to fall off. Osprey are primarily monogomous and generally return to the same mate year after year.