They have a dark eye-line, or mask, on a white head. Eyes are vivid yellow. Immature are like adults except that their upper parts are flecked with white and their under parts are buff. In flight, an Osprey's wings have a conspicuous bend or arch, reminiscent of a gull's. Wings are long in proportion to the body size and wing beats are typically slow and deep.
Ospreys emit a loud, clear whistle - often in a series and sometimes in response to other ospreys.
As members of the predatory order that contains hawks, eagles and falcons, ospreys posses the characteristic hooked beak for tearing flesh and sharp claws for seizing prey. Ospreys eat almost exclusively fish that they have caught. Carp, catfish, perch, shad and suckers have been reported in their diet. On extremely rare occasions they have been seen catching snakes, frogs and even shorebirds. A hunting osprey usually flies back and forth over, and 50 to 200 eat above, a body of water while attempting to sight a fish on the surface.