HAWKS AND OWLS 229 



Fish Hawk. The food habits of this bird have 

 determined its name, for it eats nothing but 

 fish, and, in consequence, has become an expert 

 fisher. It is a most thrilHng sight to see one of 

 these birds when slowly flying high above the 

 water suddenly stop and hang for a moment on 

 rapidly moving wing, then like a rock plunge 

 straight down, strike the water with a great 

 splash, seize the unsuspecting fish in its long, 

 curved claws, and slowly rising with the wriggling 

 prey tightly clasped, move away to some con- 

 venient stub where the meal may be enjoyed 

 without interruption. It is not always success- 

 ful, and has to plunge again and again before 

 securing its prey, but it is persistent, and knows 

 no other method of obtaining its food supply. 



The Fish Hawk, or Osprey as it is often called, 

 is a large bird, measuring two feet in length and 

 the wing spread is often nearly or quite five feet. 

 The back is dark brown, almost black, and there 

 is much white on the head and upper neck; the 

 throat and breast are pure white with grayish- 

 brown markings; the wings are somewhat 

 sprinkled with grayish-white and there are dim 

 bands of the same color across the tail. The 

 male has the suggestion of a crown. 



Ospreys are poor architects. They usually 

 build, in a tall tree or on some inaccessible cliff, 

 a rough nest of sticks with little lining to pro- 

 tect the young birds. They will return to the 

 same nest year after year, adding to the struc- 

 ture until it is a great heap. Where these birds 

 are carefully protected, as on Gardiner's Island, 

 they nest on the shore, sometimes in colonies 



