. Birds through the years . OSPREY. The Fish Hawk has long, curved, and very sharp talonsfor seizing and holding his prey, and a strong bill with theupper mandible turned down over the lower, which makes i6o BIRDS THROUGH THE YEAR an excellent hook to aid him in tearing it to pieces ; for,unlike the Kingfisher, he does not swallow it whole. He is a large and powerful bird, measuring two feetin length, with a wing spread of five feet or more. His. OsPREYS Nest, with Purple Grackles Nests at the Sides. plumage, while not brilliant, is attractive. The back is adark brown, almost black, and there
. Birds through the years . OSPREY. The Fish Hawk has long, curved, and very sharp talonsfor seizing and holding his prey, and a strong bill with theupper mandible turned down over the lower, which makes i6o BIRDS THROUGH THE YEAR an excellent hook to aid him in tearing it to pieces ; for,unlike the Kingfisher, he does not swallow it whole. He is a large and powerful bird, measuring two feetin length, with a wing spread of five feet or more. His. OsPREYS Nest, with Purple Grackles Nests at the Sides. plumage, while not brilliant, is attractive. The back is adark brown, almost black, and there is much white on thehead and upper neck. The throat and breast are purewhite, with grayish brown markings. The wings are FEATHERED FISHERMEN l6l somewhat sprinkled with grayish white, and there are dimbands of the same color across the tail. On the head ofthe male there is the suggestion of a crown. The female,somewhat smaller, has the same general colors. For some time we watch him at his meal; he tears outfrom between his toes piece after piece of the great fish,which he clutches firmly in his claws, as though still fear-ful of its escape. These he swallows greedily until hishunger is satisfied, then takes wing again to carry theremainder to his forest home, where his mate and youngare hungrily awaiting his return. The Osprey usually builds in a high tree in the deepforest, or on some secluded cliff, but he is a very poorarchitect. The
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1910
