 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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2.54 (1.04 - 4.24)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Ospreys were observed near lakes and rivers in 142 atlas squares scattered across the province. They were more frequently found in the boreal forest, where clear water lakes and suitable trees are more abundant, from the Boreal Transition ecoregion to the far north. South of the boreal, the area around Jackfish Lake in the western Aspen Parkland yielded confirmations of breeding in multiple squares, as did the South Saskatchewan River from Douglas Provincial Park to Warman. In the absence of suitable trees, Osprey regularly made use of artificial nests and human infrastructure such as electrical poles.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
The Osprey is usually seen near rivers and lakes, cruising above shallow water looking for prey. It makes spectacular feet-first dives into the water grasping a fish in its needle-sharp talons. On emerging from the water, it repositions the fish to carry it head first in both feet. One of the most cosmopolitan of raptors, the Osprey breeds across the Northern Hemisphere (chiefly north of 40°) and in Australia north to Java, and winters in South America and Africa.
Ospreys are almost always found breeding near lakes and rivers wherever there is an adequate supply of fish. During migration they are most frequently seen near water, appearing in upland areas only in transit.
Widely distributed and fairly common over the subarctic and northern boreal forest, the Osprey is most widely distributed and most common in the southern boreal forest, its numbers diminishing as one flies north toward 60° (Houston, Gerrard et al. 1977, FS). It recently has extended its range southward along the South Saskatchewan River (Houston and Scott 2001), to Douglas Provincial Park in 2011 (J. Priebe Saskbirds 21113), Outlook in 2012 (G. Thomson and R. Edmonds), and Gardiner Dam in 2015 (ARS). South of its breeding range, individuals are frequently sighted during spring and fall migrations, and occasionally during the summer months.
Original text by Frank Scott and C. Stuart Houston. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Osprey in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Osprey in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=OSPR&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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