Description:

A large raptor with white head, neck and underparts, a broad blackish eye-stripe, and chocolate-brown upperparts. Long wings, typically angled at carpals, and short tail. Has whitish head with black stripe through eye, white underbody and underwing-coverts, and black carpal patches.

Distribution:

Rare passage migrant through the south-eastern parts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Usually occurs along shallow waters, lakeshores, marshes and rivers; also on deadwood swamps and reservoirs, generally near saltwaters below 1500m.

Behavior:

Forages mainly in flight, but sometimes still-hunts from perch. Dramatic dives from heights, but seldom goes much below surface of water. Secures fish in talons before flying off. Almost exclusively feeds on live fish, that it catches by snatching from water. Takes wide variety of fish species, with some marked local preferences.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Osprey in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Osprey

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.