Eastern Osprey
Pandion cristatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyPandionidae (Ospreys)
- GenusPandion (Ospreys)
- SpeciesPandion cristatus (Eastern Osprey)
About the Eastern Osprey
The eastern osprey (Pandion haliaetus cristatus) is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It lives in Oceania at coastal regions of the Australian continent, the Indonesian islands, New Guinea, and the Philippines. It is usually sedentary and pairs breed at the same nest site, building up a substantial structure on dead trees or limbs.
The subspecies resides in a habitat close to coasts and estuaries that provide opportunities for fishing. The eastern osprey's diet consists mostly of vertebrate fish species. It possesses specialised physical characteristics and exhibits unique behaviour to assist in hunting and catching prey.
A description as species Buteo cristatus was published in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot, which came to be cited as a subspecies or race of a widely distributed species. The epithet cristatus is derived from the Latin for 'crested' in reference to the stiff tuft of feathers that extend from the nape. The subspecific treatment Pandion haliaetus cristatus distinguishes the crest from other subspecies of P. haliaetus, the name taken from ancient Greek haliaietos for 'sea eagle'.
Later authors described the regional population as separate... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
White-Bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Pacific Baza
Aviceda subcristata
Long-tailed Honey-buzzard
Henicopernis longicauda
Gurney's Eagle
Aquila gurneyi
New Guinea Hawk-Eagle
Hieraaetus weiskei
New Guinea Eagle
Harpyopsis novaeguineae
Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus
Bat Hawk
Macheiramphus alcinus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Eastern Osprey in Raja Ampat?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Osprey sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Eastern Osprey in Raja Ampat?
January has the highest sighting rate for Eastern Osprey in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.