Difference between revisions of "Field Guide/Birds/Pandion haliaetus"

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{{Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = Osprey}}
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{{Bird id
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{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Ospreysmall.jpeg]] | caption = [[media:Image:osprey.jpg|Larger image]]}}
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| name = Osprey
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{{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = pink}}
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| latin_name = Pandion haliaetus
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{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
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| level = 4
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{{Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}
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| image_1 = OspreyNASA.jpg
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{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Aves]]}}
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| caption_1 = A North American Osprey preparing to dive.
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{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Falconiformes]]}}
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| call = Pandion_haliaetus.ogg‎
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{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = '''Pandionidae'''}}
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| description = The '''Osprey''', ''Pandion haliaetus'' is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. It occurs in all continents except Antarctica, but in South America only as a non-breeding migrant. It is often known by other colloquial names such as '''fishhawk''', '''seahawk''' or '''Fish Eagle'''.  
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{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = '''''Pandion'''''}}
 
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{{Taxobox_species_entry | taxon = '''''haliaetus'''''}}
 
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{{Taxobox_end_placement}}
 
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{{Taxobox_section_binomial_parens | color = pink | binomial_name = Pandion haliaetus | author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] | date = [[1758]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_end}}
 
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The '''Osprey''' (''Pandion haliaetus'') is a medium large [[bird of prey|raptor]] which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. It is sometimes known by the other common names such as Fish Hawk, Sea Hawk or Fish Eagle. It is the only member of the genus ''Pandion'' ([[Marie Jules César Savigny|Savigny]], [[1809]]), which is in turn the only genus in family Pandionidae.
 
  
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The Osprey is 52-60cm long with a 152-167cm wingspan. It has white underparts and long, narrow wings with four "finger" feathers at the end of each, which give it a very distinctive appearance.
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The Osprey is {{units|52-60 cm| 20.5-23.6 inches}} long with a {{units|152-167 cm|5-5.5 ft}} wingspan. It has mainly white underparts and head, apart from a dark mask through the eye, and fairly uniformly brown upperparts. Its short tail and long, narrow wings with four long "finger" feathers (and a shorter fifth) give it a very distinctive appearance.
  
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Their communication can be said to be quite annoying. It consists of a series of sharp, annoying whistles, ''cheep'', ''cheep'', or ''yewk'', ''yewk''. Near the nest, a frenzied ''cheereek''!
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Juvenile birds are readily identified by the buff fringes to the upperpart plumage, buff tone to the underparts, and streaked crown. By spring, wear on the upperparts makes barring on the underwings and flight feathers a better indicator of young birds. Adult males can be distinguished from females from their slimmer bodies and narrower wings. They also have a weaker or non-existent breast band than the female, and more uniformly pale underwing coverts. It is straightforward to sex a breeding pair, but harder with individual birds.
  
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The Osprey is particularly well adapted to its diet, with reversible outer toes, closable nostrils to keep out water during dives, and backwards facing scales on the talons which act as barbs to help catch [[fish]].The Osprey is one of the fastest raptors, its fight speed said to be faster than both the [[Sparrow]]hawk and [[Merlin]]
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In flight, Ospreys have arched wings and drooping "hands", giving them a diagnostic gull-like appearance. The call is a series of sharp whistles, ''cheep'', ''cheep'', or ''yewk'', ''yewk''. Near the nest, a frenzied ''cheereek''!
  
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[[Image:OspreyNASA.jpg|thumb|left|250px|An osprey preparing to dive.]]
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The Osprey is particularly well adapted to its fish diet, with reversible outer 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. It locates its prey from the air, often hovering prior to plunging feet-first into the water to seize a fish. As it rises back into flight the fish is turned head forward to reduce drag. The 'barbed' talons are such effective tools for grasping fish that, on occasion, an Osprey may be unable to release a fish that is heavier than expected. This can cause the Osprey to be pulled into the water, where it may either swim to safety or succumb to hypothermia and drown.
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It locates its prey from the air, often hovering prior to plunging feet-first into the water to seize a fish. As it rises back into flight the fish is turned head forward to reduce [[drag (physics)|drag]]. The feet are such effective tools for grasping fish that, on occasion, Ospreys have drowned because they were unable to release their grip on a fish that was heavier than expected.
 
  
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It breeds by freshwater lakes, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters. The nest is a large heap of sticks built in trees, rocky outcrops, telephone poles or artificial platforms. In some regions with high Osprey densities, such as Chesapeake Bay, USA, most Ospreys do not start breeding until they are five to seven years old. Many of the structures they need to build nests on are already taken. If there are no nesting sites available, young Ospreys may be forced to delay breeding.
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The osprey breeds by freshwater lakes, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters. The nest is a large heap of sticks built in trees, rocky outcrops, telephone poles or artificial platforms. In some regions with high Osprey densities, such as Chesapeake Bay, USA, most ospreys do not start breeding until they are five to seven years old, and there may be a shortage of suitable tall structures. If there are no nesting sites available, young ospreys may be forced to delay breeding. To ease this problem, posts may be erected to provide more sites suitable for nest building.
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}}<noinclude>[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Transcluded Modules|{{FULLCHAPTERNAME}}]]</noinclude>
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Ospreys usually mate for life. In March or earlier depending on region, they begin  a five-month period of partnership to raise their young. Females lay 3&ndash;4 four [[The biology of eggs|egg]]s by late April, and rely on the size of their nest to help conserve heat. The eggs are approximately the size of [[chicken]] eggs, and cinnamon colored. The eggs generally incubate for 5 weeks. After hatching, 2-ounce chicks become fliers within eight weeks. When food is scarce, the first chicks to hatch are most likely to survive.
 
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[[Europe|European]] breeders winter in [[Africa]]. [[United States|American]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] breeders winter in [[South America]], although some stay in the southernmost [[United States|USA]] states such as [[Florida]] and [[California]]. [[Australasian]] Ospreys tend not to [[bird migration|migrate]].
 
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The Osprey is the [[List of Canadian provincial and territorial symbols|official bird]] of [[Nova Scotia]] in [[Canada]] and [[Sudermannia]] in [[Sweden]].
 
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The Osprey differs in several respects from the other diurnal birds of prey, and has always presented something of a riddle to the taxonomist. Here it is treated as the sole member of the family '''Pandionidae''', and the family listed in its traditional place as part of the order [[Falconiformes]]. Other schemes place it alongside the hawks and eagles in the family [[Accipitridae]]&mdash;which itself can be regarded as making up the bulk of the order [[Accipitriformes]] or else be lumped with the [[Falconidae]] into [[Falconiformes]]&mdash; and others again group it alongside the other raptors in a greatly enlarged [[Ciconiiformes]].
 
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[[Image:Osprey01usfs.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Osprey soaring.]]
 
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Twenty to thirty years ago, Ospreys in some regions faced possible extinction, because the species could not produce enough young to maintain the population. Since the ban of [[DDT]] in many countries in the early 1970s, together with reduced persecution, the Ospreys, as well as other affected [[bird of prey]] species are making significant recoveries.
 
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==See also==
 
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*The Osprey was depicted on the 1986 series [[Canadian dollar|Canadian $10 note]].
 
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*[[Birdwatching]]
 
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*[[Ornithology]]
 
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*[[V-22 Osprey]] (aircraft)
 
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==External links==
 
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{{commons|Pandion haliaetus}}
 
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*[http://www.rspb.org/reserves/guide/a/abernethyforest/diary/index.asp RSPB UK Osprey Diary]
 
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*[http://www.ospreys.org.uk/AWOP/Update.htm For numerous links to information about ospreys.]
 
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[[Category:Birds of prey]]
 
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[[da:Fiskeørn]]
 
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[[de:Fischadler]]
 
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[[eo:Fi&#349;aglo]]
 
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[[fi:Kalasääski]]
 
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[[fr:Balbuzard]]
 
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[[gl:Aguia peixeira]]
 
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[[ja:&#12511;&#12469;&#12468;]]
 
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[[nl:Visarend]]
 
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[[pl:Rybo&#322;&#243;w]]
 
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[[sl:Ribji orel]]
 
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[[sv:Fiskgjuse]]
 

Latest revision as of 19:14, 5 July 2012

Pandion haliaetus (Osprey)
A North American Osprey preparing to dive.
Description
The Osprey, Pandion haliaetus is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. It occurs in all continents except Antarctica, but in South America only as a non-breeding migrant. It is often known by other colloquial names such as fishhawk, seahawk or Fish Eagle.

The Osprey is 52-60 cm20.5-23.6 inches long with a 152-167 cm5-5.5 ft wingspan. It has mainly white underparts and head, apart from a dark mask through the eye, and fairly uniformly brown upperparts. Its short tail and long, narrow wings with four long "finger" feathers (and a shorter fifth) give it a very distinctive appearance.

Juvenile birds are readily identified by the buff fringes to the upperpart plumage, buff tone to the underparts, and streaked crown. By spring, wear on the upperparts makes barring on the underwings and flight feathers a better indicator of young birds. Adult males can be distinguished from females from their slimmer bodies and narrower wings. They also have a weaker or non-existent breast band than the female, and more uniformly pale underwing coverts. It is straightforward to sex a breeding pair, but harder with individual birds.

In flight, Ospreys have arched wings and drooping "hands", giving them a diagnostic gull-like appearance. The call is a series of sharp whistles, cheep, cheep, or yewk, yewk. Near the nest, a frenzied cheereek!

The Osprey is particularly well adapted to its fish diet, with reversible outer 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. It locates its prey from the air, often hovering prior to plunging feet-first into the water to seize a fish. As it rises back into flight the fish is turned head forward to reduce drag. The 'barbed' talons are such effective tools for grasping fish that, on occasion, an Osprey may be unable to release a fish that is heavier than expected. This can cause the Osprey to be pulled into the water, where it may either swim to safety or succumb to hypothermia and drown.

The osprey breeds by freshwater lakes, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters. The nest is a large heap of sticks built in trees, rocky outcrops, telephone poles or artificial platforms. In some regions with high Osprey densities, such as Chesapeake Bay, USA, most ospreys do not start breeding until they are five to seven years old, and there may be a shortage of suitable tall structures. If there are no nesting sites available, young ospreys may be forced to delay breeding. To ease this problem, posts may be erected to provide more sites suitable for nest building.

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