BIRDS OF PREY 



(364) Pandion haliaetus caro= 

 linensis 



(Gmct.) 



OSPREY; FISH HAWK. Feet 

 very large and rough; talons long 

 and strongly hooked. Plumage very 

 close, firm and oily; occipital feathers 

 slightly lengthened. Ads. — Plum- 

 age as shown. Only very old birds 

 have a solid blackish-brown back; 

 usually the feathers are more or less 

 edged with whitish — the younger 

 the bird the more white on the back, 

 but the reverse is true in regard to 

 the head. L., 23.00; Ex., 5 feet; W., 

 20.00; T., 9.50; Tar., 2.25. Nest 

 — Very bulky, of sticks, usually 

 in trees but sometimes on the ground. 



Range — Breeds throughout the 

 U. S., Canada and Alaska. Winters 

 from southern. U. S. southward. 



live a great deal upon fish, which they get from the shore or 

 force peHcans to disgorge. Their flight is rather graceful 

 and quite swift, but most of their hunting is done on the 

 ground; their legs and feet are especially adapted to a 

 ground life. They kill many rabbits, other smaller rodents, 

 and also many insects and serpents. Their nests, rather 

 bulky but shabbily constructed, of twigs and weeds, are 

 placed in the tops of low trees. 



Family PANDIONID.E. Ospreys 



OSPREYS, or Fish Hawks, are abundant in suitable 

 localities throughout North America. As their food is 

 wholly of fish, they are confined chiefly to sea-coasts and 

 large inland bodies of water; during migrations, however, 

 they will be seen sailing over many lakes and following river 

 courses. While they are not recognized as of any economic 

 value, the harm they do is nil, and folks are beginning to 

 appreciate the fact that many birds have an aesthetic value 

 to warrant their strictest protection. 



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