Meet Nature’s Perfect Angler | The Global Osprey
This is one photograph that I took quite recently, of an Osprey proudly exhibiting its most defining diet - a huge fresh fish.
It seems that, their diet consists almost entirely of live fish, making them strictly piscivorous.
One unique feature about the Osprey is that, it sports a distinct reversible outer toe. While most raptors have three toes facing forward and one facing backward, ospreys can rotate their outer toe backward. This allows them to grasp a fish with two toes forward and two toes backward!
One cursory look at an osprey's feet, and you will be surprised to find that the soles are covered in sharp, hook-like scales called spicules. These scales in fact act as lockers, to lock onto slippery, struggling fish.
Quite interestingly, when compared to other eagles and hawks, they have a waterproof plumage, with dense oily feathers. This natural waterproofing prevents them from becoming waterlogged and heavy when they plunge completely underwater to secure a catch.
Yet another unique feature about the osprey is that, they are not native to just one specific country. They are a cosmopolitan species with a global presence, and hence its native range spans across the entire globe! In fact, ospreys are one of the most widely distributed bird species in the world. They are native to and can be found on every single continent except Antarctica.
If there is a shallow body of water with fish, chances are high that there is likely an osprey nearby! 😊
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