94 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



The Ospreys are not more sociable than other raptorial birds; but an abundant food 

 supply together with freedom from interference will often result in a number of them 

 nesting near one another, and sometimes quite a large colony will develop. They return 

 year after year to the same site and even rehabilitate the old nests by the addition of more 

 material. 



OSPREY 



Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (GjiicUii) 



A. O. U. Xumber 364 See Color Plate 4,3 



Other Names. — American Osprey ; Fish Hawk; 

 Fishing Eagle. 



General Description. — Length, 2 feet : spread of 

 wings. 4^4 to 5'/2 feet. Upper parts, dark brown : head 

 and under parts, white. 



Color. — Adults; Head, neck, and entire lozver parts, 

 pure white; a broad brownish-black stripe across upper 

 side of head to nape; head narrowly streaked with 

 blackish coalescing toward center ; nape, pale yellowish- 

 white thinly streaked ; breast with large heart-shaped 

 spots of brown on each feather, the shaft black (these 

 spots more numerous in female, fewer in male) ; rest 

 of lower parts unmarked ; bach, shoulders, ivings, and 

 tail, deep burnt-umber with a faint purplish gloss; tail 

 barred with seven even bands of dusky, inner webs and 

 tip, white ; the feathers of the upper parts are edged 

 with paler; bill, bluish-black; cere and feet, grayish- 

 blue; claws, black; iris, yellow or red. Young; More 



marked with buflfy and brownish on neck and under 

 parts; upper parts, edged and notched with whitish; 

 tail, more barred. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest ; In a tree or on the ground ; 

 composed principally of coarse sticks, seaweed, and 

 any old rubbish which is handy. Eggs: 2 to 4, usually 

 3, yellowish or dull white, spotted and blotched with 

 Indian red and different shades of brown, sometimes so 

 heavily at the large end as to obscure the ground color ; 

 some marked at small end. and others almost plain. 



Distribution. — North and South America; breeds 

 from northwestern .'Maska. northwestern Mackenzie, 

 central Keewatin, southern Ungava, and Newfoundland 

 south to Lower California, western Me.xico, and the 

 Gulf coast; winters from the southern United States 

 through Lower California and Mexico to the West 

 Indies and Central America ; occurs also in South 

 America south to Peru and Paraguay. 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



OSPREY (S nat. size) 

 His feet are perfect fish traps 



