Osprey (in swedish fiskgjuse)

Sweden is a country with endless number of lakes, archipelago with nearly 25,000 islands, islets and rocks, extensive coastline, unspoiled forest and meadows. It means an ideal location for bird watching. If you are interested in nature and birds you can have many wonderful experiences here.

According to [Mebs & Schmidt 2014], Sweden is the country with the largest population of these amazing birds (4,100 pairs). This is about 40% of all ospreys which are moving to Europe every spring to breed.

Osprey is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm in length and 180 cm across the wings. Osprey nests near freshwater lakes, rivers and on coastal brackish waters. As its names suggest, the diet consists almost exclusively of fish. Live fresh- and saltwater fish account for 99 percent of the Osprey’s diet.

Before the chicks hatch the male Osprey brings in two or three fish per day, after the chicks have hatched they catch up to five fish each day which is enough to feed the whole family.

Hunting is a real sky dance! Ospreys hunt alone, mostly from flight above water or along the shore. Their vision is well adapted to detecting underwater objects from the air. Fish can be sighted from 10–40 m above the water, after which the bird hovers momentarily then dives down at the prey. 

European breeders are moving before winter to Africa. We are waiting for them to return in April. We are very lucky to see ospreys dancing on the sky almost everyday while paddling, cycling or hiking around. Join our guided or self guided kayak tours to enjoy this amazing view!