Birds That Plunge Dive

By Mic McCarty, Vice President

Ospreys are the only raptors that are true plunge divers: they completely submerge themselves and are still able to fly away with the fish. When spotting a fish, they often hover, plummet, and then dive– legs extended forward just before plunging feet-first into the water.(1) The osprey’s toes are semi-zygodactyl, meaning they have one toe that faces to the rear and three that are usually facing forward. However, when seizing a fish, the fourth outside toe can be moved to face towards the rear. This gives the osprey two talons facing both fore and aft to carpe Pisces, or seize the fish!(2)

The Belted Kingfisher has two fovea in each eye. The fovea is a focal point in the eye. One of the kingfisher’s fovea sees the correct angle for things below the water. Kingfishers are able to switch from monocular vision to binocular vision. Their egg-shaped eye lens allows them to have sharp vision under water so they can catch fish.(3)

Of the eight pelican species, the Brown and Peruvian Pelicans are the only diving pelicans. They plunge dive from the air after spotting fish below the surface.(4) Brown Pelicans always dive to the left to protect the esophagus and trachea which is on the right side of their neck.(5) Brown Pelicans dive from up to 60 feet, whereas Peruvian Pelicans begin their dive from a much lower heights. 

Brown Boobies are opportunistic foragers that often take advantage of other animals and human activity to find food. They frequently target areas where other seabirds are actively feeding, using these cues to locate schools of fish. Brown Boobies also hunt over tuna and dolphins as they drive small fish to the surface, making them easier for the boobies to catch. In addition, they are known to follow the bow wave of boats, searching for fish that are disturbed and fleeing from the boat's path. Brown Boobies capitalize on situations where prey is more accessible, demonstrating their adaptability and resourcefulness in foraging.(6)

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[1] In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.osprey.01

[2] Phillipsen, I. (2025, April 6). The Science of Birds. The Science of Birds. Retrieved May 2, 2026, from https://www.scienceofbirds.com/podcast/osprey-pandion-haliaetus

[3] (n.d.). How Do Kingfishers Catch Fish? Bird Spot. Retrieved May 2, 2026, from https://www.birdspot.co.uk/bird-brain/how-do-kingfishers-catch-fish

[4] Pelicans (Pelecanidae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.peleca1.01

[5] (2025, August 19). How Brown Pelicans Dive. Bird Note. Retrieved May 2, 2026, from https://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/how-brown-pelicans-dive

[6] In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.brnboo.02