Osprey

The Osprey is a summer migrant, with a few residents for the year and the best places to see these outside of the breeding season are at the Albufera in the north and Salobrar de Campos in the south. During migration, it can be seen fishing in many freshwater lakes including built-up areas such as the La Gola Reserve in Puerto Pollensa where in the early morning it can be seen diving into the pool whilst fishing. It is regularly seen on the Formentor Peninsula where there are a few breeding pairs and ii is also a regular visitor to the trees surrounding the lagoons in the Albufera. This bird is part of a conservation project in Mallorca along with the Red Kite and the Black Vulture all of which now have increasing populations thanks to the funding and volunteer work. With this work being so successful one of the most spectacular places to see this bird is during the breeding season when it nests on the cliffs at Cabrera where there are now several nesting pairs. To do this you will need to take one of the short boat trips to the island from Colona Sant Jordi or better still use one of the islands local tour guides. If you do this you will see many special species such as the Balearic Shearwater, Eleonora’s falcon and Audouins gull and the island itself is amazing.

Technical description

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), sometimes known as the fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk, or fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts. The osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica.