The common name for the osprey in the United States is “fish hawk.” This is a name that describes the habits of this bird. It is an amazingly keen-eyed bird of prey. It flies about at a height of l 5 or even 75 meters in the air, and watches the waters below. Suddenly it sees a fish close to the surface. The fish is so neutral in color that a human being on the shore wouldn’t even notice it! But the fish hawk sees it and plunges down to seize and hold the wriggling victim in its strong talons. Then the fish is carried away to some tree top to be devoured at leisure.

When hunting, the osprey usually flies back and forth over the chosen spot slowly flapping its wings and occasionally sailing. Its down-ward swoop is sudden and sure. It strikes the water with a mighty splash, almost going under. It does not dive, for it is not a water bird.

The osprey measures about 60 centimeters long and has a wing spread of about 1.5 meters. It has a rather short curved beak which is not

used for seizing or holding. This task belongs to the powerful feet and claws. The head, neck, and lower parts are a pure white, except for some dark markings or streaks on the head. The back and wings are dark brown.

There is only one species of osprey. It breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere and in the Malays, Australia, and New Caledonia. Since the osprey’s only food is fish taken alive, the bird is never found far from water.

One of the peculiar things about the osprey is the huge and un-attractive nest it builds. It makes no attempt to hide the nest and adds new material each year to the same old nest. In the course of time there is a huge pile of such material as twigs, small branches, pine bark, and needles. The whole is perhaps 1.8 meters deep and weighs 315 to 450 kilograms. This may be put in plain view on top of a tall pine tree. Or it may be on the sandy beach. or on the roof of a shed. It is always built of a wide variety of materials.