How to See an Osprey in Yellowstone National Park
- 1). Understand how to recognize osprey. The back is dark, as is the top of the wings; you will think you are seeing a bald eagle, especially when you catch sight of the white crown. An osprey, however, also has a white breast and a distinctive dark eyestripe, a straight line that covers each eye like Zorro’s mask.
- 2). Find a body of water, and scan the sky. Osprey feed on fish, and that makes them easier to find in a place like Yellowstone. They can appear virtually anywhere near water with fish in it (and not all Yellowstone waters have fish—stick to the larger streams and lakes).
- 3). Try the Firehole River, in the southern half of the park. The Firehole flows through a series of geyser basins; it takes runoff from the famous Old Faithful Geyser, among other things. While everyone else is looking at the geysers, take a glance at the sky now and then.
- 4). Try the Gardner River just before the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park; the last couple of miles of the Gardner, before it flows into the Yellowstone River, will usually host an osprey.
- 5). Look at the tops of the trees, where an osprey may linger while looking for fish. If you see a bird in flight, look for a fish in its talons. The fish are often quite big. If you get lucky, you may see an osprey circling the water. Watch, and you may see the bird diving on its prey.
