Monday, December 26, 2016

Ospreys on Bird Survey, Pinellas NWR: 12-17-16




Ospreys are superb fishers and indeed eat little else, with fish making up some 99% of their diet.  Ospreys can become completely submerged during a dive (head and talons entering the water) into the water and are still able to fly away with their prey.


There are some clear markers as far as gender is concerned, although as one might expect, some plumage variations do exist.  It's easier to identify the gender of the members of breeding pairs and is more difficult with individuals.
Males (above) are slimmer bodies than females and their under plumage is usually entirely white/grayish.



Females have a band of dark brownish streaks the throat and around the neck and upper chest.



Owls and Ospreys are the only raptors with a reversible outer toe, which allows them to hold on to their prey with two toes in front and two behind.





The birds aerodynamically position a fish headfirst in their talons before returning to a feeding perch or the nest.


It's not uncommon to see an Osprey dragging its talons along the surface of the water.




They do this to clean their talons




and to cool themselves by getting water on their breast feathers.



White Ibises walking under the Red Mangrove drop roots and among the mangrove prop roots and don't seem bothered at all by the trash along the shoreline.




Such handsome birds they are!




No comments:

Post a Comment