What is an osprey?
The osprey is a large bird of prey that resembles the eagle. A full-grown osprey may be 2 feet long with a wing-spread of nearly 6 feet.
It is dark brown above, white below, with enough white on its head to be easily mistaken for the bald eagle.
Osprey are found near rivers, lakes and sea-coasts all over the world. A common name for the osprey is “fish hawk” because it feeds almost entirely on fish.
It fishes by flying over the water. When it spots a fish swimming near the surface it dives feet-first, hits water with a great splash and seize the fish with its long, sharp talons.
Sea eagles often rob the osprey of its catch. The eagle is not a very good fisherman. When it spies an osprey with a fish, it swoops down and forces the osprey higher and higher until the osprey tires and drops the fish.
The eagle catches the fist in mid-air. – Dick Rogers