OSPREY
(VISVALK)
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This cache forms a part of the YWP Bird series.
For a full list of all the birdies CLICK HERE
I DECIDED TO DO THIS BIRD TRAIL IN YELLOWWOOD PARK, SEEING THAT ALL STREETS ARE NAMED AFTER BIRDS. I HOPE PEOPLE WILL BECOME MORE AWARE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS WHICH WE SEE EVERY DAY AND TAKE FOR GRANTED... IT OPENED MY EYES.
Don't forget to treat this birdie like you would like your cache to be treated.
Please Bring your own Pen
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QUICK FACTS
Osprey are sometimes known as sea hawks, fish eagles or fish hawks
The Osprey has a worldwide distribution and is found in temperate and tropical regions of all continents except Antarctica.
Fish make up 99% of the Osprey’s diet. Occasionally, the Osprey may prey on rodents, rabbits, hares, amphibians, other birds, and small reptiles
The Osprey and Owls are the only raptors whose outer toe is reversible, allowing them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind.
Osprey typically take fish weighing 5–10 oz and about 10–14 in in length, but the weight can range from 2–68 oz. Virtually any type of fish in that size range are taken.
The Osprey is particularly well adapted for catching fish.
They have reversible outer toes, sharp spicules on the underside of the toes, closable nostrils to keep out water during dives, and backwards-facing scales on the talons which act as barbs to help hold its catch.
Ospreys’ hunting success rate is quite high and has been reported to range from 50% to 80% for adults.
The typical lifespan of an Osprey is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can grow to be as old as 20–25 years.
The oldest European wild Osprey on record lived to be over thirty years of age.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the main threats to Osprey populations were egg collectors and the hunting adult birds
There was a medieval belief that fish were so mesmerized by the Osprey that they turned belly-up in surrender, and this is referenced by Shakespeare in Act 4 Scene 5 of Coriolanus: I think he’ll be to Rome As is the osprey to the fish, who takes it By sovereignty of nature.
HOPE YOU ENJOY THE CACHE