Charleston County Parks issued the following announcement on July 23.
Competition is common across the natural world. Most species have to keep their wits about them to stay clear of predators and/or competitors. Such is the case with the relationship between the osprey and the bald eagle.
Bald eagles are powerful fliers that frequently harass birds like osprey to steal their food, and occasionally do the same to mammals such as river otters. This feathered kleptoparasite is not opposed to a free fish dinner that does not require as much time and effort!
Conversely, ospreys are free to launch their share of attacks—and some of them are on eagles. To do so, they must secure the elevation advantage. Such attacks usually come when an eagle has encroached upon the feeding or nesting area of the osprey. Ospreys have an average 60 to 70 inch wingspan and weigh around 3-4 pounds. The bald eagle is one of the largest birds in North America, with an average 80-inch wingspan and a weight between 6 and 13 pounds. Without the advantage of being higher in the sky, do you think the osprey would have much of a chance?
Original source can be found here.
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