osprey

(Pandion haliaetus), a bird of the family Accipitridae of the order Falconiformes. The osprey is about 60 cm long and weighs 1.3–1.9 kg. The plumage is brown above and brightly colored below. There are little spines under the toes to help the bird grip the slippery bodies of fish. Ospreys are widely distributed except in tropical Africa and South America. In the USSR they are found from the forest tundra to the country’s southern borders. The birds settle near lakes and streams abounding in fish. They obtain their prey by swooping down onto or, sometimes, into the water. An oil from the coccygeal gland prevents the feathers from becoming soaked. Ospreys nest in trees and, less commonly, on cliffs or on the ground. A clutch contains two or three eggs, which are incubated for about 35 days. Ospreys are becoming rare everywhere. The birds are sometimes classified as the separate family Pandionidae.