THE AMERICAN OSPREY OR FISH HAWK. 



{Pandion haliaetus carolinensis.) 



She brings us fish — she brings us spring, 



Good times, fair weather, warmth, and plenty ; 

 Fine store of shad, trout, herring, ling, 



Sheep's-head and drum, and old wives dainty. 



Yo, ho, my hearts ! let's seek the deep, 



Ply every oar, and cheerily wish her, 

 Still as the bending net we sweep, 



"God bless the Fish Hawk and the fisher !" 



— Alexander Wilson, "The Fisherman's Hymn." 



The American Osprey is one of our 

 noble birds and well deserves the re- 

 spect and admiration of man. Gentle 

 and industrious, it is also tolerant 

 in its treatment of other birds and 

 man, excepting in the defense of 

 its nest and young. It has been called 

 the Fish Eagle, and this title is more 

 than appropriate for the Osprey possesses 

 some characteristics that are even more 

 noble than any of the attributes possessed 

 by the eagle. Its affection for its mate 

 and young, its attachment for its home 

 and its environment are most marked. It 

 loves the company of its fellows. "The 

 social disposition of the Ospreys is in 

 marked contrast to the more reserved life 

 of the eagles." Moreover it labors for 

 its food, and does not rest upon its perch 

 awaiting a chance to steal the food ob- 

 tained by the activities of other birds. 

 This is not true of that "ill-chosen em- 

 blem of our national genius" — the bald 

 eagle, which in many respects is no> more 

 noble than is the vulture. While the 

 Osprey will eat dead fish when it has 

 been unable to capture live food and is 

 pressed by hunger, the eagle very com- 

 monly feeds upon the lifeless fish cast 

 upon the shore by freshets, and in other 

 ways. But this is not all. The eagle fre- 

 quents the realm of the Osprey and takes 

 the food honestly obtained by this fishing 

 hawk. Mr. Silloway has well described 

 this disreputable habit in the following 

 words : "Sometimes the Osprey has 

 scarcely emerged from the cloud of spray 



and shaken the water from its oily plu- 

 mage, ere the bald eagle is in determined 

 pursuit. Though the Osprey is much 

 swifter in flight than the eagle, it fool- 

 ishly attempts to escape by rising with its 

 burden. Its pursuer, unencumbered and 

 fresh for the chase, screams its challenge 

 and wheels ever nearer in narrowing cir- 

 cles, its unmoving pinions presenting a 

 marked contrast to the rapidly flapping 

 wings of the despairing Osprey. At the 

 last moment, when the victorious eagle 

 is about to strike the vanquished Osprey 

 from above, the latter relinquishes its 

 prey with a cry of anger, and the thrill- 

 ing performance has ended, unless the 

 eagle swoops in the path of the swiftly 

 falling fish and attempts to take it for 

 its own use." If the eagle does not 

 obtain the fish, the Osprey never returns 

 for it but patiently goes to> its fishing 

 grounds for another, which it may also 

 lose in the same manner. It is said that 

 the Ospreys that live in colonies fre- 

 quently unite their forces and drive the 

 bald eagles from the vicinity of their 

 nests. 



The sea coasts, the larger inland lakes 

 or the greater rivers are within the range 

 of the Osprey. It is a migratory bird 

 and its range is an extensive one, includ- 

 ing suitable localities throughout North 

 America. It breeds nearly throughout 

 this range, from Florida to Labrador, 

 throughout the interior of British Amer- 

 ica, and in Alaska ; however, it nests only 

 near favorable feeding grounds. It win- 



