What Kind Of Bird Is A Seahawk?
By Mike • January 19, 2006 • 34 comments
Every year, hope springs eternal that Seattle’s NFL football team might finally make it deep into the playoffs, perchance even win a Super Bowl. I’ll share my incredibly accurate prediction regarding the team’s likelihood of clinching the championship below, but first let’s get down to the question that probably brought you here: “What kind of bird is a seahawk?”
Seahawk is but one of many nicknames for the awesome Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). This large, long-winged bird of prey cuts a striking figure, dark chocolate brown above and white below with a strong black line through its eye. This color scheme is obviously a bit more understated than the blue, teal, and chartreuse palette favored by the football Seahawks, but seems to work well for the raptor.
Osprey attack by Walter Kitundu
Most nature lovers enjoy the good fortune of spotting ospreys with ever-increasing frequency as they progress in understanding and awareness of the natural world. What makes such a common bird so special? Their size, sleekness, and sheer presence have a lot to do with it. But it is also human nature to fixate on those animals fixed firmly atop their respective food chains. Humans are fascinated with raptors like hawks, eagles, falcons, owls, and osprey because they are predators. On safari, you may be pleased to spot a zebra, but admit it…you’re there for the lions.
Real Seattle Seahawks nesting by the Ballard Locks by Corey Finger
Besides seahawk, osprey may also be referred to as fish hawk or fish eagle. According to the Peregrine Fund, the bird’s common name is derived from the Latin word ossifragus, meaning “a bone breaker.” A fitting name for a football team indeed! Here are some more fun osprey facts:
- The osprey is the most widespread raptor in the world. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Like most raptors, osprey are migratory. They breed in temperate climates and winter in the tropics.
- Osprey are particularly suited to catch fish, their primary food source. They possess a reversible fourth toe which allows them to grasp fish more securely by positioning two toes forward and two toes back. Also, the undersides of an osprey’s feet are covered in spiny spicules which prevent fish from wriggling free. They plunge feet first into the water to seize prey and may even submerge completely. A little known adaptation that facilitates these dives is the bird’s ability to close its nostrils.
- Osprey are only slightly smaller than eagles. The female osprey is larger than the male and may be distinguished by her brown spotted necklace.
- Osprey are one of the most difficult raptors to maintain in captivity. Although osprey were on the endangered species lists in most states since the 1970′s, they have successfully increased numbers due to conservation efforts since then. They are, for the most part, still considered threatened. Osprey are vulnerable to loss of habitat and organochloride pesticides like DDT.
How are the Seahawks’ Odds This Year?
Even without checking their standings or depth chart, I can say with confidence that Seattle is not likely to win the Super Bowl.
For that matter, neither are Philadelphia, Baltimore, Arizona, or Atlanta. In fact, in 44 Super Bowl match-ups from 1967 to 2010, only once has a football team named for a bird emerged victorious in the championship game. The Baltimore Ravens crushed my beloved New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV (2001) to become football’s finest feathered franchise.
Teams named for Homo sapiens just do better in this game. In an astonishing 31 of 44 contests, an organization named for a meat (not cheese) packer, chieftain, cowpoke, steel worker, indigenous American, gold miner, U.S. nationalist, servant of a deity, oversized individual, or some species of pirate has won it all.
Tags: football, Ospreys, raptors
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like your site would like to learn more
[...] Seahawks In The Super Bowl By Mike • February 3, 2006 • No comments yet How about those Seahawks? Though I’m a serious New York Giants fan, Seattle’s NFC Championship makes me pretty happy. Why, you ask? Besides the fact that Big Blue just wasn’t ready this year so it didn’t matter who took the conference, I’m very pleased that a football team with an obscure avian appellation is competing for the championship. Inquiring minds have been asking since the playoffs began, “What kind of bird is a Seahawk?” I, a humble devotee of both birds and sports as well as the overlap between these two topics, have the answer right here. [...]
I am a die hard seahawks fan but i want to know more about the seahawk were it lives and what it eats blah blah good article thogh
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Hi Mike,
I really enjoyed your osprey photos. I have been watching ospreys out in Greenport, Long Island NY and was lucky enough to be able to shoot photos from right under the nest platform. I have a slew of photos and wonder if you would like to see them?
Charleen.
Sure, Charleen. Send me a link at mike AT 10000birds DOT com
Hello, Today 12-7-08 while driving in Brookfield Massachusetts we saw a large bird on the bank of a pond. It then flew to the edge of the ice. We turned the truck around and went back to get photos. I got 5 or 6 good shots. We thought it was just a really big hawk. Tonight while watching the football game with the Patriots ( we won!) and the Seahawks they showed a picture of one. Answer to our question of this morning. Funny how that happens. The first two shots I took, the bird is looking right at me! Then I got some in flight.
Just thought I would share.
thanks
[...] Seahawks As this website has previously established, Seahawk is another name for Osprey. Although this logo isn’t exactly realistic, it’s done in the local Native American [...]
[...] Seattle Seahawks — Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest Did you know that “seahawk” is actually another word for [...]
hey this page rox
Very informative story about the Osprey, one of my favourites here in Africa as well – and must confess I’ve never come across somebody who has said ‘no’ to seeing an Osprey.
Interesting little fact about the nostrils – something I didn’t know.
I can’t vouch for (and wouldn’t advise anybody else to on my behalf) much knowledge on NFL but now I do know about the Seahawks!
)
The Seahawk is also the mascot of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Their logo is clearly based on the Osprey. Recently a 20 foot copper statue of an Osprey (Seahawk) was dedicated on the campus. Ironically, despite having over 11,000 students they have no football team. Real Ospreys are sometimes see around Wilmington.
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Like the info and the pictures given re: Seahawk bird. Is there any green on the bird? Wondering how the Seahawks football team came up with their new color scheme which includes that lime green color. My husband thinks there is green on the bird?
@Donna Alexander: Actual Osprey have no green in their plumage.
Could someone please explain to me why you love bird’s so much?
With much misunderstanding
Bubba
Very interesting and beautiful website. I love all of the birds. They are the decorate of God. And give a happiness to all of the human.
Pimvisa
Seattle was not the first pro team to take the name Seahawks. The old Miami franchise in the All American Football Conference was named the Seahawks. It last one season, 1947. The next year, the league replaced the franchise with the Baltimore Colts.
I saw for the first time two Sea Hawks fly on to a palm tree in Mission Bay Park, San Diego, CA. Wow, what beautiful birds. We have many red tail hawks here, but I’ve not seen Ospreys here, bad non-sightings perhaps. Their marking and black hooked beaks are very cool.
Up until this December in Houston Tx, I had never seen an Osprey, but while walking the dog one cold morning, there it was circling a pond at the park. I new that the military has a plane by the same name but until this beautiful bird hovered over the water before diving for a fish, it never occured to me the reason for naming the plane. I was blown away to see a bird that size stationary in mid air, eyeing prey!
thanks for the logo of seahawks, explained !
[...] What Kind Of Bird Is A Seahawk?Seahawk is but one of many nicknames for the awesome Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). This large, long-winged bird of prey cuts a striking figure, dark chocolate … [...]
The Osprey is my most favorite bird. We live on the Connecticut River and I see them in the summer and fall. My husband just asked me, “what kind of bird is a Seahawk?” I answered, “the Osprey” and he said it didn’t look like one. I realized the Osprey is also called the Fish Hawk, that’s why I checked for sure, here. Glad I was right the first time.
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could you tell me the kind of bird that can be stationary in the mid air
Papacious, if you’re asking which raptor can hover, you’ll need to provide more info. A number of birds of prey can hover for a small length of time, but kestrels are most renowned for their ability in that regard.
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Dear Mike,
A ” Seahawk ” may be an Osprey, but the Osprey is NOT the mascot of the Seattle Seahawks. Their mascot is an Augur Hawk ( Buteo Augur ) named Taima who leads the team flying out onto the field before games.
When I saw the bird on TV tonight I didn’t recognize it and I had to research it – found your site, but I knew the bird was not an Osprey.
Go to http://www.seahwks.com/gameday/taima-the-hawk.html to check it out.
George Layne – 20 years a compiler for the Militia Hill Hawk Watch,
Fort Washington, Pa. – seen a LOT of Ospreys !
Gorgeous birds! Love them!
Wonderful post and photos.
I was lucky enough to see a few while living in South Sinai
[...] by Mike’s blogpost over at 10.000 birds, I decided to dig them out and post them [...]