Dominica Botanic Gardens Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

Source: Dominica’s Birds Photo: Peter Wallack Photo: Tom Vezo Photo: Peter Wallack

Description: Large, hawk-like, mostly winter migrant, 53-61 cm long (21-24 in); has dark brown upperparts, white head, dark, hooked bill, and large, yellow eyes, with conspicuous black, post-ocular streak; has white throat and underparts, grey feet with large, strong, highly curved, hook-like talons, ideal for catching fish; has narrow wing, long wingspan, up to 1.8 m (6 ft), and in flight, wings typically flat and bent at wrist; with white V-shaped pattern when seen from below; when hunting, hovers in flight then plunges into water after fish, its almost exclusive food; large size and uniquely curved claws allows Osprey to carry large fish considerable distances to feed young; hunts primarily along coast - in sea or river, and can sometimes be seen soaring above the Gardens as early as August; resident birds have more white on head and hindneck, with post-ocular streak more or less washed out; unmarked white belly, wing shape, and flat-winged, hovering flight-style, make Osprey instantly recognizable; click here to listen to its calls, and here to see its video.. References: Arlington James, et al. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005 James Bond. Birds of the West Indies. Collins, St James Place, London, 4th Edition, 1979 Herbert Raffaele, et al. Birds of the West Indies. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2003 Wikipedia. Osprey. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, July 2008 (wikipedia.org) Fred J. Alsop III. Birds of Florida. Smithsonian Handbooks, Dorling Kindersley, NewYork, 2002.