Ospreys have been threatened due to a loss of suitable habitat for its feeding and nesting requirements. As it is practically completely dependent on fish as its prey, the success of osprey populations is dependent on a healthy environment. The availability of fish, water conditions, and health of the environment directly contributes to the health, reproductive, and nesting success of the global osprey population. Ospreys are very sensitive to various forms of environmental degradation and require large expanse of habitat for food.
Harassment from egg collectors is an important factor in the loss of osprey populations.
Pandionidae has one species, the osprey Pandion haliaetus, or 'Fish Hawk. Ospreys have a world wide distribution, and can be found in both salt and freshwater ecosystems, thriving best in shallow water habitats.
Ospreys have been threatened by heavy logging activity that has occurred in many parts of the north western America. Forests bordering lakes and rivers have been cut destroying existing potential nest sites with the loss of "dead snags" and tall trees. Due to deforestation dramatic increases in siltation of the water in which ospreys fish and the acidification of freshwater ecosystems is limiting the habitat suitable for ospreys. The wide spread use of organochlorines (DDT) in the late 1950's had a large impact affecting egg shell thickness and dramatically decreasing hatching success.