Osprey in flight
The natural world is full of perfect predators, this one with keen forward looking eyes to spot prey and judge distance; a large hooked beak for tearing flesh; broad powerful wings to cover long distances while searching for food and to lift itself out of the water with pounds of caught prey; a splayed tail to control the dive during the attack. But most impressive are the oversized, muscular feet with needle sharp talons, the main weapon in catching food. All these tools work in perfect unison everyday to survive and reproduce.
Ospreys dine almost exclusively on live fish, often catching its meals by hovering over the water at high altitudes, then diving to snatch surface fishes directly out of the water.
These seabirds play a vital role in marine ecosystems, and depend on healthy oceans for food and much more.
The Osprey is a fairly common seabird that lives along coastlines, throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the world. The tops of the wings and part of the head are brown, while the remainder of the body is white or grey.
In the past, directed hunting and egg collecting drove total numbers to very low levels, and accidental poisoning by manmade pesticides weakened eggs, reducing hatching rates significantly. Fortunately, conservation and management measures have been successful, and the Osprey is no longer at risk of endangerment or extinction.
Photograph by Tony Rath
Click here to comment on this picture.