Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Ospreys search for fish by flying and hovering over the water, watching the surface below. When a fish is sighted, an Osprey dives steeply, its talons (claws) outspread, and splashes into the water. It quickly resurfaces and, if it has made a catch, flies off, adjusting the fish in its claws so that the head is pointed forward. Ospreys became seriously endangered during the 1950s and 1960s, but since then they have made a comeback and are nesting again in areas from which they had disappeared.

Look For : Hunts fish by hovering over the water. Brown above and white below, with a dark line on the side of its head.

Length : 21-24".

Habitat : Wetlands and seacoasts, especially coastal marshes.

Range : Northern half of continent, and southern coasts.