OSPREY
(pandion haliaetus)
Persecuted to extinction in Britain by 1917, the comeback of the Osprey started in 1959 when a pair returned and bred successfully at Loch Garten in Scotland. A migratory bird which winters in Africa. Now each year about 110 pairs return.
The Osprey is a specialist fish-eater which will plunge into the water from about 30ft. Ospreys' feet are specifically adapted to catch fish - they have long, sharp, very curved talons and the undersides of the feet are covered in tiny spikes. Ospreys are also able to turn their outer toes to the rear, so giving them two opposing pairs of talons.
Compared to a body weight of up to 4.51bs, the Osprey has very large wings with a span of almost 6ft. These it uses to lift both itself and its prey - both soaking wet - from the water's surface, hanging in mid-air after a few strong wing-beats to shed water with a characteristic shake of its body, before flying off to feed.
FACT FILE:
LENGTH: 55 - 58cms (21 - 23ins)
WINGSPAN: 145-170cms (57-70ins)
WEIGHT: 1.2 - 2kg (21bs 8oz - 451bs 8z)
HABITAT: Coasts and near lany lake or river which is free from disturbance and where fishing is possible. Nests on trees and artificial platforms.
Photo courtesy of NASA / Kennedy Space Centre