Osprey on Flickr. Via Flickr: This guy was alternating between soaring, hovering and diving after fish. As a kid I used to refer to these as Osprey Eagles, but they are not eagles and seem to be in their own class. According to Wikipedia: “The genus, Pandion, is the sole member of the family of Pandionidae, and contains the sole species Osprey (P. haliaetus).” “The Osprey differs in several respects from other diurnal birds of prey. Its toes are of equal length, its tarsi are reticulate, and its talons are rounded, rather than grooved. 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. This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish. It has always presented something of a riddle to taxonomists, but here it is treated as the sole living member of the family Pandionidae, and the family listed in its traditional place as part of the order Falconiformes. Other schemes place it alongside the hawks and eagles in the family Accipitridae—which itself can be regarded as making up the bulk of the order Accipitriformes or else be lumped with the Falconidae into Falconiformes” Yellowstone National Park

Osprey on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
This guy was alternating between soaring, hovering and diving after fish. As a kid I used to refer to these as Osprey Eagles, but they are not eagles and seem to be in their own class.

According to Wikipedia:

“The genus, Pandion, is the sole member of the family of Pandionidae, and contains the sole species Osprey (P. haliaetus).”

“The Osprey differs in several respects from other diurnal birds of prey. Its toes are of equal length, its tarsi are reticulate, and its talons are rounded, rather than grooved. 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. This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish. It has always presented something of a riddle to taxonomists, but here it is treated as the sole living member of the family Pandionidae, and the family listed in its traditional place as part of the order Falconiformes. Other schemes place it alongside the hawks and eagles in the family Accipitridae—which itself can be regarded as making up the bulk of the order Accipitriformes or else be lumped with the Falconidae into Falconiformes”

Yellowstone National Park

  1. stevebumbaugh posted this