THE OSPREY 175 



Family PANDIONIDAE. Ospreys. 

 Genus Pandion Savigny. 



22. PANDION HALIAETUS CAROLINENSIS (Gmelin). 364. 

 Osprey. Fish Hawk. Fishing Eagle. 



Field Characters. A large Hawk, blackish above, and pure white 

 below. Feet very large. Usually seen flying over water in search 

 of fish which are captured with the talons. 



Description. Above dusky or brownish black, whitening on the 

 head. Tail crossed by six or eight dusky bands. Below pure white 

 with occasional brownish spots on the breast. 



Immature birds, more spotted on the breast and darker on the back 

 than adults. 



Measurements. Length, 21 to 24 inches; wing, 17 to 20 inches; 

 tail, 7 to 10 inches. 



Range. In general, throughout North America ; breeding in most 

 of this territory. 



The Osprey feeds exclusively on fish, which are usually if not al- 

 ways secured by plunging upon them from aloft in the air. 



Fish Hawks may be seen flying leisurely above lake or river, parrs- 

 ing now and again on winnowing wings to scan the surface of the 

 water for their prey. Fish which frequent the shallow water or swim 

 near the surface are usually the victims, and in Iowa therefore the 

 Carp constitutes no small part of the food of these birds. 



It has been stated by observers that for the most part the fish se- 

 cured by Ospreys are those considered least desirable by man. 



Sometimes these birds are drowned through striking fish of such 

 size that they are held beneath the surface, being unable to disengage 

 their claws from the prospective prey. 



R. M. Anderson says, "The American Osprey or Fish Hawk ap- 

 pears to be only a spring and fall migrant in Iowa, rather rare in 

 general, but sometimes tolerably common along the larger water 

 courses." 



In former years the writer saw it frequently in the vicinity of 

 Cedar Rapids, along Cedar river and especially about "Cedar lake," a 

 marshy slough wherein Sunfish and Carp abound. Once while he 

 was hunting in this vicinity, a bird of this species flew directly over- 

 head at no great height carrying headforemost a Carp about a foot 



