What is the primary diet of the osprey?

The primary diet of the osprey consists mostly of fish, making them specialized hunters of this prey. Ospreys have unique adaptations that facilitate their fishing skills, such as their keen eyesight, which allows them to spot fish from considerable heights. Their long legs and sharp talons are perfectly designed to grasp slippery fish, and they can dive into the water to catch their meals with impressive agility.

While ospreys are known to occasionally consume small mammals, birds, or reptiles, these are not their main food sources. Their physiological traits and hunting behaviors demonstrate a clear evolutionary specialization for catching fish, which is abundant in their typical habitats near rivers, lakes, and coastlines.