Quick identification
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
A large fish-eating raptor with long bent wings, white underparts and a bold dark eye stripe.
Season and local range: Common migrant and winter visitor; some remain longer.
Habitat and island setting
Lagoon, passes, channels and Gulf shoreline with perches near open water.
Where to look
Scan poles, channel markers and open sky from the causeway, bayside boardwalks and Isla Blanca. Birds may move as tides, wind, fronts, water levels and activity at the site change.
What the bird is doing
Ospreys hover and plunge feet-first for fish. Do not approach occupied platforms or perches, and dispose of monofilament that can entangle adults and young.
Watching birds
Use binoculars or a camera zoom, stay on public paths and leave feeding, resting and nesting birds enough room to continue normal behavior. If a bird stops feeding, stands alert, calls repeatedly or moves away because of you, increase the distance. Check access information in the South Padre Island birding guide before making a special trip.