OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis) BALD EAGLE (Haliaetus leucocephalus 



Length, about 23 inches. The great size, 

 brown upper parts and white under parts are 

 distinguishing features. 



Range : Breeds from northwestern Alaska, 

 and central Canada south to the Gulf coast, 

 western Mexico and Lower California: win- 

 ters from the southern United States, Lower 

 California and ]\Iexico to Central America. 



A thin, high-pitched whistle, the alarm as 

 well as the call note of the osprey, frequently 

 directs the attention of the passer by to this 

 fine hawk as he circles high in air on the watch 

 for fish. The bird is common along our coast 

 and to some extent along our rivers, and his 

 bulky nest of twigs, often in low trees or 

 sometimes on tlie ground, frequently attests 

 his former presence when he is wintering else- 

 where. When unmolested, ospreys return to 

 their own strip of territory year after year, 

 and they and their descendants probably rear 

 their young in the same nest for generations, 

 repairing it from season to season as necessity 

 requires. The osprey lives solely on fish which 

 he catches himself — he disdains carrion — div- 

 ing from mid air upon his quarry and often 

 burying himself in the water momentarily by 

 the force of his descent. Usually he succeeds 

 in carrying his prey to his nest, though his 

 slow and labored wing-beats often prove how 

 heavy is his load. Visitors to the seashore, 

 and even old residents, never tire of watching 

 his superb flight and interesting habits, and his 

 plunge after his quarry, whether successful or 

 unsuccessful, is a sight to be remembered. 



I 



and subspecies) 



Length, about ^,3 inches. The white head 

 (adult) and naked tarsus distinguish this spe- 

 cies from the golden eagle. 



Range : A resident of Alaska, much of Can- 

 ada, and the whole of the United States in 

 suitable localities. 



Though a fisherman b\^ profession, the white 

 head is by no means the master of his craft 

 that the osprey is. In fact, he never fishes for 

 himself so long as he can rob the more skillful 

 and more industrious fish hawk. When neces- 

 sity compels, however, he fishes to some pur- 

 pose, and much after the manner of his erst- 

 while victim, the fish hawk. He is far less fas- 

 tidious in his food habits than that bird, how- 

 ever, and often gorges himself until he cannot 

 flj' on dead fish gathered along shore, espe- 

 cially on the great salmon rivers of the north- 

 west. When fisli are scarce and waterfowl are 

 plentiful, the white head has little difficulty in 

 living off them. Complaint is made in Alaska, 

 where the bald eagle is numerous, that he 

 sometimes interferes w-ith blue fox farming by 

 killing the animals for food. Though the blue 

 fox is. not a large animal he is by no means a 

 pigmy, and the bird who would make him his 

 quarrj' must needs possess both strength and 

 determmation. As this eagle has been taken 

 for our national emblem, it would seem to be 

 the part of patriotism to condone his faults 

 and remember only his virtues, among which 

 are a magnificent presence, superb powers of 

 flight, and devoted care of his family. 



© Howard 



os^ul•;^•, ok fish h.wvk, kisinc i-kom .\ strike 



When a fish is sighted, this l)ir(l checks himself directly over tlic quarry on wings that 

 beat horizontally, then down he goes at reckless speed, with wings foldcii and talons wide 

 open. There is a great siilash as the hawk strikes the water and seizes the lish In- tlie back. 

 In tlie picture above tiie osi)rey had been deceived by an artiticial gold fish anchored by an 

 l8-ounce stone, and it shows hiin shooting upward after the decoy had slipped from his grasp. 



67 



