Osprey
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The osprey is one of the largest
birds of prey in North America. The
osprey’s upperparts are a deep,
glossy brown, while the breast is
white and sometimes streaked with
brown, and the under parts are pure
white. The head is white with a dark
mask across the eyes, reaching to
the sides of the neck. The irises of
the eyes are golden to brown, and
the transparent nictitating membrane
is pale blue. The bill is black,
with a blue beak, and the feet are
white with black talons. A short
tail and long, narrow wings with
four long, finger-like feathers, and
a shorter fifth, give it a very
distinctive appearance.
It is one of the most widespread
birds in the world, found on all
continents except Antarctica. The
Osprey is a fish-eating specialist,
with live fish accounting for about
99% of its diet. Barbed pads on the
soles of its feet help it grip
slippery fish. When an Osprey takes
a large fish to its nest, it carries
the fish headfirst to make it as
aerodynamic as possible. The Osprey
is particularly well adapted to this
diet, with reversible outer toes,
sharp spicules on the underside of
the toes, closable nostrils to keep
out water during dives, and
backwards-facing scales on the
talons which act as barbs to help
hold its catch.
The Osprey readily builds its nest
on manmade structures, such as
telephone poles, channel markers,
duck blinds, and nest platforms
designed especially for it. Such
platforms have become an important
tool in reestablishing Ospreys in
areas where they had disappeared. In
some areas nests are placed almost
exclusively on artificial
structures.
Osprey numbers declined drastically
in 1950-1970s, from pesticide
poisoning and eggshell thinning.
After the ban on DDT, populations
increased rapidly. Still listed as
endangered or threatened in some
states, especially in inland states
where populations were small or
extirpated after the pesticide
years.
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