Floridian Nature

Learn about Florida's beautiful and unique nature.

Florida Birds: American Eagles & Osprey
People Demographics History Artists George Abbott Jimmy Buffet Ray Charles Harry Crews Earl Cunningham Martin Johnson Heade Ernest Hemingway Florida Highwaymen Zora Neal Hurston James Weldon Johnson John Rosamond Johnson Lawrence "Hank" Locklin Will McLean Addison Mizner Victor Nunez Majorie Kinnan Rawlings Robert Rauschenberg Burt Reynolds Gamble Rogers James Rosenquist Patrick D. Smith Tennessee Williams Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Native Tribes Ais Tribe Apalachee Tribe Calusa Tribe Choctaw Tribe Creek Tribe Jeaga Tribe Miccosukee Tribe Seminole Tribe Tequesta Tribe Timucua Tribe Weather Climate Weather Charts Hurricanes Hurricane Season Hurricane Preparedness Hurricane FAQ's Storm Surge Florida Hurricanes Fl Hurricanes 1700-1949 Fl Hurricanes1950-1999 Fl Hurricanes 2000- Insects Ants Beetles Butterflies Butterflies (2) Butterflies (3) Creepy Crawlies Love Bugs Flying Insects Garden Pests Scorpions Spiders Brown Recluse Spider Widow Spiders Land Ecosystems Dunes & Maritime Forests Freshwater Marshes Hammocks Inshore Marine Habitats Mangroves Pine Flatwoods & Dry Prairies Salt Marshes Scrub & High Pine South Florida Rockland Swamps Tropical Reefs Environmental Issues Coastline Geography Nature Spots A-G Amelia Island Anclote Key Big Shoals Public Lands Biscayne National Park Blackwater River State Park Blowing Rocks State Park Blue Mountain Beach Canaveral National Seashore Captiva Island Cedar Key Coconut Creek Collier-Seminole State Park Crystal River Dog Island Everglades National Park Falling Water State Park Fanning Springs Fort Foster Grayton Beach Nature Spots H-T Henderson Beach Homosassa Springs Park Indian Key Jonathon Dickinson Park Marjorie Rawlings Site Myakka River State Park Natural Bridge Ocala National Forest Panacea Area Paynes Prairie Rainbow River Ravine State Gardens Sanibel Island Sebastin Inlet Silver Springs St. Augustine St. George Island St. Joseph Penisula Suwannee River Area Tallahassee Museum Gardening Garden Pests Vegetable Garden Calendar Xeriscaping Birds Common Birds Common Birds (2) Cranes Eagles & Osprey Game Birds Hawks Loons Owls Raptors Shorebirds Songbirds Vultures Wading Birds Water Birds Waterfowl Woodpeckers Wrens & Swift Endangered Endangered Amphibians Endangered Birds Endangered Birds (2) Endangered Birds (3) Endangered Birds (4) Endangered Birds (5) Endangered Birds (6) Endangered Fish Endangered Fish (2) Endangered Fish (3) Endangered Corals & Crustaceans Endangered Insects & Mollusks Endangered Mammals Endangered Mammals (2) Endangered Mammals (3) Endangered Mammals (4) Endangered Mammals (5) Endangered Mammals (6) Endangered Reptiles Endangered Reptiles (2) Endangered Reptiles (3) Endangered Reptiles (4) Endangered Reptiles (5) Fish Freshwater Fish Florida Black Bass Florida Catfish Florida Gar Florida Panfish Florida Pickerels Florida Stripers Florida Suckers Florida Suckers (2) Non-Native Fish Non-Native Fish (2) Non-Native Fish (3) Non-Native Fish (4) Other Fish Other Fish (2) Prohibited Aquatics Prohibited Aquatics (2) Marine Fish Billfish Bluefish Bonefish & Cobia Drums Drums (2) Flounder, Grunt, & Herring Grouper Grouper (2) Jacks Jacks (2) Mackerels & Tuna Mullet Tarpon & Spadefish Porgy Porgy (2) Sea Bass Shark Snapper Snapper (2) Snapper (3) Snook Mammals Bear Mink Bats Bats (2) Bats (3) Bats (4) Bobcat Coyote Deer Pig Panther Foxes Weasel Marine Mammals Dolphins Dolphins (2) Seals Manatee Whales Whales (2) Whales (3) Mice Moles Armadillo Rabbits Raccoons Rats Wolves Rhesus Macaque Otters Rodents Rodents (2) Shrews Skunks Squirrels Virginia Opossum Reptiles Alligators American Crocodile Anoles Florida Frogs Florida Frogs (2) Geckos Glass Lizards Lizards Newts & Sirens Salamander Salamanders (2) Skinks Toads Treefrogs Treefrogs (2) Venomous Snakes Cottonmouth Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake Eastern Coral Snake Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Southern Copperhead Timber Ratller Non Venomous Snakes Hognose Garter, Ribbon Coachwhips Misc. Snakes Pine King Brown Indigo Snakes Racers Rat Rough Green Snakes Unique Florida Snakes Water Snakes Water Snakes (2) Florida Turtles Freshwater Turtles Land Turtles Sea Turtles Sliders, Cooters, & Soft Shelled Turtles Flora Trees/Shrubs American Beautyberry-Bay Buttonbush-Deerberry Devils Walking Stick-Figs Firebush-Groundsel Tree Gulf Greytwig-Inkberry Magnolia-Myrsine Myrtle-Oak Palm Trees-PawPaw Pine-Rosemary Rouge -Spanish Bayonet St. John's-Wort-Vanishleaf Water Toothleaf-Willow Plant Life Aquatic Grasses Butterfly Attracting Plants Butterfly Plants (2) Butterfly Plants (3) Butterfly Plants (4) Butterfly Plants (5) Butterfly Plants (6) Emersed Plants Emersed Plants (2) Endangered Plants Endangered Plants(2) Endangered Plants(3) Endangered Plants(4) Endangered Plants(5) Fungi and Mushrooms Hummingbird Plants Hummingbird Plants(2) Hummingbird Plants(3) Hummingbird Plants(4) Native Grasses Poisonous Plants Poisonous Plants (2) Poisonous Plants (3) Sedges and Rushes Submersed Plants
American Eagle- Florida has one of the densest concentrations of nesting eagles in the lower 48 states, with over 1,000 nesting pairs. Concentrations of nesting territories are clustered around several significant wetland systems throughout the state. The national emblem of the United States, the Bald Eagle was threatened with extinction in the lower 48 states because of DDT (a type of pesticide) poisoning. Protection under the Endangered Species Act, together with reintroduction programs, brought populations up, and the species was reclassified as Threatened in 1995. On June 28, 2007 the Interior Department took the American bald eagle off the Endangered Species List. The eagle is one the largest and most powerful birds of prey. Soaring high above the earth, spying its prey with its keen eyes, the eagle presents a majestic picture. Eagles are notable for their powerful set of eyes. Even though their eyes are just slightly larger than human eyes, they can see up to 3½ times better than a person with perfect vision. An eagle can see a moving rabbit from a mile away, and can see a fellow eagle soaring 50 miles away! Eagles are differentiated from other birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and beak. These powerful birds are unmistakable in appearance. They are found throughout the United States and Canada. Eagles can measure up to 43 inches in length and have a wingspan up to 7.5 feet. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from the vultures. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong muscular legs, and powerful talons. They also have extremely keen eyesight which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily contributed by their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light. Eagles build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The dominant chick tends to be the female, as they are bigger than the male. The parents take no action to stop the killing. Osprey- Ospreys, also known as “fish hawks,” are expert anglers that like to hover above the water, locate their prey and then swoop down for the capture with talons extended. The undersides of the toes on each foot are covered with short spines, which help them grasp slippery fish. In Florida, ospreys commonly capture saltwater catfish, mullet, spotted trout, shad, crappie and sunfish from coastal habitats and freshwater lakes and rivers for their diet. The osprey is smaller than the bald eagles that typically share the same habitats, but its five to six foot wingspan is impressive nonetheless. Adults are dark brown above with a white underside and head. Look for the distinctive dark line that extends behind the eye and the gull-like way the narrow wings are angled downward when the birds are in flight. Ospreys build large stick nests located in the tops of large living or dead trees and on manmade structures such as utility poles, channel markers and nest platforms. Ospreys have adapted so well to artificial nest sites that the species now nests in areas once considered unsuitable. Nests are commonly reused for many years. Nesting begins from December (south Florida) to late February (north Florida). The incubation and nestling period extends into the summer months. The osprey is found year-round in Florida both as a nesting species and as a spring and fall migrant passing between more northern areas and Central and South America. Ospreys in Florida did not suffer the serious pesticide-related population declines that occurred in other states in the 1950s and 1960s. Pesticides, shoreline development and declining water quality continue to threaten the abundance and availability of food and nest sites for ospreys. The osprey is listed as a Species of Special Concern only in Monroe County. Permits are required throughout the state to remove a nest for these wonderful raptors, however, and a replacement structure must be erected to mitigate the removal of the nest.
Follow us on Facebook Advertise \| Privacy Statement \| Dog Encyclopedia \| Video \|Contact \| Alaska Nature