Osprey

Q: What are the chances of seeing an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park?

Possible. About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Osprey sighting in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, based on 501 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 274 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park?

January and February. In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, the lowest month. Those are among Palo Verde National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 480 mm in October.

Q: What time of day is best to see an Osprey?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Osprey sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Palo Verde National Park the best place to see an Osprey?

26th of 182. Of the 182 parks where we can rate Osprey sightings, Palo Verde National Park ranks 26th at about 30%. The best odds are in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 80%), Rottnest Island (Australia, about 70%) and El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 60%). All parks ranked.

Q: Which relatives of the Osprey live in Palo Verde National Park?

Same order: Accipitriformes. The closest relatives of the Osprey that you can see in Palo Verde National Park (order Accipitriformes, Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies) are Black Vulture (about 60%), Turkey Vulture (about 60%) and Snail Kite (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Osprey sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Osprey is recorded against all the birds logged in Palo Verde National Park (501 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Pandion haliaetus

Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyPandionidae (Ospreys)
GenusPandion (Ospreys)
SpeciesPandion haliaetus (Osprey)

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

at Palo Verde National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

501 Verified sightings at Palo Verde National Park From 2019 to 2026

63,525 In all 182 parks

January Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Osprey

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and a wingspan of 180 cm (71 in). It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.

The osprey is distributed on all continents except Antarctica, but in South America, it occurs only as a nonbreeding migrant. It lives in a wide variety of habitats and nests in locations near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It has specialised physical characteristics and unique behaviour in hunting its prey, which consists almost exclusively of fish.

The osprey was described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus under the name Falco haliaetus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Europe, but in 1761, he restricted the locality to Sweden. The osprey is the only extant species placed in the genus Pandion that was introduced by French zoologist Marie Jules César Savigny in 1809. The genus is the sole member of the family Pandionidae. The species has always presented a riddle to taxonomists... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:29

Sweden · 2025

Flight call1:03

United Kingdom · 2022

Alarm call0:49

Latvia · 2009

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 16 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~80%
2	Rottnest Island	🇦🇺 Australia	~70%
3	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
4	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~60%
5	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
6	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
7	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~50%
8	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~50%
9	Cape Range	🇦🇺 Australia	~40%
10	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
11	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~40%
12	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
13	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
14	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
15	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
16	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~30%
17	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~30%
18	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
19	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
20	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
21	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	~30%
22	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
23	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
24	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	~30%
25	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
26	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
27	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
28	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
29	Noosa National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
30	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
31	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
32	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
33	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
34	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
35	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
36	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
37	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
38	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
39	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
40	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
41	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
42	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
43	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
44	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~20%
45	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
46	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
47	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
48	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	~20%
49	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
50	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
51	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
52	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
53	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
54	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
55	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
56	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
57	Komodo National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~10%
58	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
59	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
60	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
61	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
62	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
63	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	~10%
64	Cat Tien National Park	🇻🇳 Vietnam	~10%
65	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
66	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
67	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~10%
68	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
69	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
70	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
71	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
72	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	~10%
73	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
74	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
75	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~10%
76	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
77	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
78	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
79	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
80	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
81	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
82	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
83	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
84	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
85	Gir National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
86	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~10%
87	Nitmiluk National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
88	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
89	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
90	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
91	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
92	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
93	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
94	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
95	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
96	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
97	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
98	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
99	Royal Bardia National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
100	Booderee National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
101	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
102	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
103	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
104	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
105	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
106	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
107	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
108	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
109	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
110	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
111	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
112	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
113	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	<5%
114	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	<5%
115	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
116	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
117	Namdapha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
118	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
119	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
120	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	<5%
121	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
122	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
123	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
124	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	<5%
125	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
126	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
127	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
128	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
129	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
130	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
131	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
132	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
133	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
134	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
135	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
136	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
137	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
138	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
139	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
140	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
141	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
142	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
143	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
144	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
145	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
146	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
147	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
148	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
149	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
150	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
151	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	<5%
152	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
153	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
154	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
155	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
156	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
157	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
158	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
159	Royal Manas National Park	🇧🇹 Bhutan	<5%
160	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	<5%
161	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
162	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
163	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
164	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
165	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
166	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
167	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
168	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
169	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
170	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
171	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
172	Kakadu National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
173	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
174	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
175	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
176	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
177	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
178	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
179	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
180	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
181	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
182	Blue Mountains National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Maracaibo	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~50%
2	Naha	🇯🇵 Japan	~40%
3	Miami	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
4	Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
5	Dakar	🇸🇳 Senegal	~30%
6	San Diego	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
7	Hiroshima	🇯🇵 Japan	~20%
8	Baltimore	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
9	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
10	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Zoobotánico Jerez	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
2	Heinola bird sanctuary	🇫🇮 Finland	In captivity
3	Territory Wildlife Park	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity
4	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	São Paulo Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
6	Kyiv Zoo	🇺🇦 Ukraine	In captivity
7	Healesville Sanctuary	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity
8	Taronga Zoo	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity
9	Zoo de Córdoba	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
10	Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity
11	Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre	🇧🇸 Bahamas	In captivity
12	Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Bird Alliance of Oregon	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Cascades Raptor Center	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Gator Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	Oslo Reptilpark	🇳🇴 Norway	In captivity

Show all 16 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Palo Verde National Park

Coragyps atratus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Buteogallus anthracinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo albonotatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Parabuteo unicinctus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Circus cyaneus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo swainsoni

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Osprey sighting in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, based on 501 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 274 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park?

January and February

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, the lowest month. Those are among Palo Verde National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 480 mm in October.

What time of day is best to see an Osprey?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Osprey sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Palo Verde National Park the best place to see an Osprey?

26th of 182

Of the 182 parks where we can rate Osprey sightings, Palo Verde National Park ranks 26th at about 30%. The best odds are in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 80%), Rottnest Island (Australia, about 70%) and El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 60%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Osprey live in Palo Verde National Park?

Same order: Accipitriformes

The closest relatives of the Osprey that you can see in Palo Verde National Park (order Accipitriformes, Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies) are Black Vulture (about 60%), Turkey Vulture (about 60%) and Snail Kite (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Osprey sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Osprey is recorded against all the birds logged in Palo Verde National Park (501 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Palo Verde National Park

Osprey

About the Osprey

Sounds

Recent sightings of Osprey in Palo Verde National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Palo Verde National Park

Black Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Snail Kite

Roadside Hawk

Common Black-Hawk

Gray-lined Hawk

Zone-tailed Hawk

Harris' Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Short-tailed Hawk

Hen Harrier

Swainson's Hawk

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park?

When is the best time to see an Osprey in Palo Verde National Park?

What time of day is best to see an Osprey?

Is Palo Verde National Park the best place to see an Osprey?

Which relatives of the Osprey live in Palo Verde National Park?

Where does the Osprey sighting chance come from?