Ashley and Crippen Photographers, Toronto|Corporate Headshots/Executive Headshots 

Birds

Ospry

Sometimes known as the “fish-hawk” or “fish eagle”, the Osprey is fairly common in coastal areas and is sometimes seen along rivers and over inland lakes. It was once threatened by the use of DDT, but since this and other pesticides have been banned, populations have recovered. Its nest is a large construction of sticks in a tall tree, rock pinnacle or any tall structure near water and is reused year after year. It holds 2-4 buffy eggs, blotched with brown, which are usually incubated by the female for around a month. The young are downy white and leave the nest around 2 months after hatching. The adult bird has long narrow wings, held above horizontal and slightly arched in flight, with a distinct bend at the wrist. Its plumage is dark brown above and white below, with a white head and dark eye stripe. The female bird may have some darker streaking on the neck. The juvenile has similar coloring but has white scaling on its back. Unlike other hawks, the Osprey feeds almost exclusively on fish, which it catches by soaring over the water and diving, talons first.