This raptor is projected to lose 79 percent of current summer range by 2080, according to Audubon’s climate model. While it has expanded potential to live year-round in places like Florida, it’s uncertain whether this fish-eater will be able to find enough food in stable and expanded portions of its range, or how sea-level rise will affect its success in coastal areas.
One of the most widely distributed raptors in the world, and one of the few that specializes in eating fish, the Osprey nests along the coastlines, rivers, and large lakes of five continents and many islands. Its breeding territory extends from North America and the Caribbean to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, Indonesia and Australia, and wintering birds also reach South America and southern Africa, giving this bird a truly global presence. Despite this wide range, the Osprey is vulnerable. North American populations almost disappeared during the 20th century, owing to the effects of DDT and other persistent pesticides. After DDT use was outlawed in the 1970s, Osprey populations rebounded in a dramatic way. These large raptors can now be seen plunging feet-first to catch fish in many regions of this continent, from lakes in the mountain west to mangrove swamps in Florida.
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