RE: Osprey attacked and killed by Canada Geese?
Posted by
lwhite on
Jul 20, 2010; 7:45pm
URL: http://bald-eagles-of-broward-county-florida.17.s1.nabble.com/Osprey-attacked-and-killed-by-Canada-Geese-tp5318117p5318204.html
I wouldn't be surprised at all. Those geese are really
powerful, as you know, and the young Osprey probably had no idea what he was
dealing with.
Lynda
White
EagleWatch
Coordinator
Audubon Center for Birds of
Prey
1101 Audubon
Way
Maitland, FL 32751
407-644-0190 x
106
407-719-2642
cell
http://www.audubonofflorida.org/who_centers_CBOP_eaglewatch.html
“Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, caring citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing
that ever has.”
-Margaret Mead
My brother created a one acre, nine foot deep pond in his northern
Pennsylvania back yard. He stocks it with bass. Ospreys occasionally catch some
of his fish, but he enjoys watching them. This year a pair of Canada Geese
nested at the pond. They often acted aggressively towards the Osprey. Although
almost exclusively fish-eaters, Osprey sometimes take birds and other small
animals. The other day his wife looked out and saw the geese and an apparently
young Osprey battling-- at least it looked that way to her, as they were
splashing about in the pond. My brother ran out and found a freshly dead Osprey
floating in the water. He retrieved it with a rake. It had some blood around its
bill but otherwise appeared intact.
All the goslings were still alive,
but they inexplicably disappeared a day or so later. My brother thinks they
walked over to a larger lake almost a mile away. It seems so improbable that the
geese killed the Osprey, but it is true that geese can fight fiercely when their
young are threatened.

