The spectacular flying
fisherman
By
Nutan Shukla
Ospreys are spectacular flying
fishermen. As they glide and soar 150 ft or more above
the ocean or a lake, they scan the water for fish. Once
fish has been spotted, the ospreys dive headlong towards
the water. At the last minute before hitting the surface,
they swing their hooked talons forward to seize the fish.
Strong legs enable them to withstand the shock of
striking the water. Their momentum often carries them
into the water, and occasionally even beneath the
surface.
Ospreys
are found worldwide. They are large birds of prey with a
short bill which is strongly hooked. The wings of this
brownish-black and white bird are long and pointed. It
feeds on fish and inhabits coastal areas and inland fresh
water bodies. It makes its nest both on the ground and in
trees.
Their talons are highly
evolved for capturing slippery fish. Birds feet
have four strong toes which are almost equal in length
and the outer front toe can be moved alongside the back
one to efficiently grasp objects. The pads under the toes
have rough scales to ensure a non-skid grip. While
carrying a fish, which can be almost as heavy as the bird
itself, it adjusts its position in such a way so that the
head of the fish faces forward in torpedo-fashion. This
reduces wind resistance.
The efficiency in
catching fish at times proves fatal for the bird itself.
Ospreys fish by picking up food from the surface of the
water or just below it. At times it happens that the bird
plunges into the water and disappears briefly before
surfacing again. However, there are a few cases of the
bird drowning because it could not free its grip after
fastening its talons to a fish which was too large to
lift.
These birds use the same
nest for number of years. One nest in Australia was first
seen in 1889 and the site was still in use as late as
1936. It was one of the smallest nesting sites ever
recorded in the country. This site was a tiny limestone
stack off Cape Mentelle in southwestern Australia. There
are a few other nest sites on this island-continent which
are believed to have been in use for many years, possibly
even centuries.
Ospreys use all kinds of
material to construct their nests. When the nest is on
the ground by the sea, birds use seaweeds, waste
materials thrown away by the ships, things taken from
wreckage of ships, materials from the cargo thrown
overboard to lighten ship and later washed ashore, e.g.
table legs, boards, sticks etc. When the nest is in a
tree, sticks, twigs and leaves are used as building
material.
Another bird of the same
order as osprey is secretary bird. This queer name was
given to the bird because its crest of black feathers
resembles a quillpen which European clerks in the 19th
century used to stick in their wigs.
Inhabiting the open
plains of Africa, it feeds on reptiles, particularly
snakes, small mammals and insects. Its a large,
grey bird with black thighs and flight feathers. The bird
has a long neck and its nape has elongated feathers. The
face is bare with a short-hooked bill. It has long legs,
with short toes which are we- bbed basally. It has large
wings and a long tail with long central feathers. It
nests in a bush or in trees.
The bird spends most of
its time on the ground searching for food, but to fly it
has to run to launch itself into the air. Once air-borne,
it flies well.
Its a hawk-like
bird with long legs which are useful for evading snakes
on which it preys.
|