Ospreys almost exclusively eat fish. They dive for fish swimming at the surface, and just before hitting the water, throw their taloned feet forward to grasp their prey. Osprey pairs usually expand and repair the same nest year after year. Building nests atop mangrove islands provides the osprey and their young safety from predators and a close supply of fish. Osprey pairs commonly use man-made structures such as channel markers and telephone poles for nest sites as well.
Female osprey incubate the eggs with occasional help from the male.
Once the eggs hatch, the male does all the fishing for about 6 weeks, after which both parents fish to feed the young chicks. Chicks leave the nest about 8 weeks after hatching. Nicknames Chicken Hawk Fish Hawk Gator Hawk Choose a nickname.