Osprey – pandion haliaeetus

• adult
• taxidermist: Robby Krasselt
• height: 52 cm

The Hiddensee ornithological stations placed a ring on the leg of this eagle. The ring carries the inscription 'Germania, BA 000889'. Found dead in 1994, the bird was stuffed for the museum.

Ospreys are medium-sized birds of prey that mainly hunt fish.
They are substantially smaller than sea eagles.

Since 2015, their numbers have stabilised in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and there are now 150-160 breeding couples. An osprey was last found breeding by the river Darß in 1956, and they have been listed as extinct in the region since 1970.

They are now mainly indigenous to the the Müritz region in the lake district of Mecklenburg. There has been recent success in breeding the birds along the Warnow near Rostock, so reintroduction to the coastal regions appears feasible.