Florida Seabirds

Sea birds of Florida

​Description

45-54" (1.1-1.4 m). W. 7'6 (2.3 m). Very large, with distinctive shape. Adult gray-brown with pale head (back of neck turns chestnut in breeding season). Juvenile all brown at first, changing gradually to adult plumage.

Size

About the size of a Heron

Color

Brown, Gray, White, Yellow

Wing Shape

Broad, Fingered, Long, Tapered

Tail Shape

Short

​Brown Pelican

Open Ended

What are differences between the flamingo and reddish egret?

​ OSPREY

Behavior 

• Hunt by diving feet first

• Build large platforms of sticks, sod, and grasses high above the ground

• Mate for life

Population

• The Florida population increases during the winter months 

• The osprey population in the US was decimated by the widespread use of DDT based pesticides between 1950 and 1975 

• The osprey population has recovered since the ban of DDT products in the early 1970s 

Conservation 

• Ospreys are a prime indicator species that can be used to monitor habitat conditions, fish populations, and overall environmental health