THE BIRDS OF PREY OF THE PUNJAB. 



251 



26" ; Nostril a narrow horizontal slit. 



Characteristics same as for Type above. 



Type B. Neophron percnop- 

 terus. The Large 

 White Scavenger 

 Vulture. 

 „ C. Gypcetuif barbatus, 

 The Lammergeyer 

 or Bearded Vul- 

 ture. 



Family PANDIONIDi*]. 

 Type A. 



Bill dark horny at all ages ; length about 



No. 1189. 



Genus Pandion (contains a single species). 

 Pandion halifstus, The Osprey. 



Charactenstics. Size medium ; head feathered ; tarsi naked ; tip of 



feathers in closed wing exceed end of tail, outer toe 

 reversible ; no after-shaft to contour feathers. The 

 two last named characteristics are in themselves 

 sufhcient to place the Osprey and dift'erentiate him 

 from every other diurnal Bird of Prey. 



Colouration. Generally deep brown and white. Head, neck 



and the under-parts (except the upper portion of 

 the breast), white. Conspicuous brown shaft stripes 

 appear in each feather in the middle of the crown 

 and on the nape, and sometimes on the sides. A 

 broad dark brown band extends from the eye down 

 the side of the neck. The whole of the back and 

 tops of the wings a glossy brown, as also the tail, the 

 latter with bars of paler brown above and white 

 below. These tail bars become fainter with age 

 and are said to disappear in very old birds. The 

 upper breast is brown, the feathers having dark 

 shaft-stripes and very pale or white edges. The 

 under-part of the wing is brown with an admixture 

 of white or fulvoas. 



Legs and feet pale greenish or yellowish ; claws 

 black ; irides bright yellow ; Bill black : cere, gape, 

 and eyelids dull greenish blue (Blanford). 



Length 20" to 22" ; wing 20" ; tail 9" ; tarsus 

 2"2"; bill from gape 16" ; expanse about 5 ft. 



Distribution. Throughout India in suitable localities. 



The Osprey though by no means common, is still pretty frequently met 

 with along the banks of any of the Punjab Rivers and larger streams. 



On backwaters and jheels they might be found circling some 50 feet or so 

 above the surface of the water, or sitting on a stump or on an overhanging 

 branch of some convenient tree, with eyes intently fixed on the water below. 

 The usual mode of hunting, of the Osprey, is to fly up and down with slow 

 deliberate beats and every now and again stop and hover. If a fish hap- 

 pens to be fairly close to the surface he will diop with closed wings, head 

 foremost into the water, and like a King-fisher, go right under. If nothing 

 is to be seen, he will move on to repeat the process elsewhere. Almost 

 invariably when rising from the water, after his dive, he will be seen to 

 almost stop in mid air, for a fraction of a second and a spasmodic quiver 

 will be seen to pass over his body from head to tail, to shake off the 

 water, before he continues his flight. 



