Osprey

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a large fish-eating raptor with dark brown upperparts, pale underparts and head, a dark eye stripe and long kinked wings. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It occurs near coasts, rivers and lakes, hovering or circling before plunging feet-first for fish, and builds a bulky stick nest on exposed trees, rocks or structures. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).