10,000 Birds

Now that Seattle’s football team is an NFL powerhouse, I’m getting a slew of inquiries asking, “What kind of bird is a seahawk?” Good question, sports fans!

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 Pandion haliaetus. Miami, Jan 2008.

It has been the Core Team’s good fortune to spot osprey with ever-increasing frequency as we progress in our understanding and enjoyment of bird watching. Any regular reader of our site will note that we see Pandion haliaetus nearly every time we go birding in the warm months. We’re not complaining. We see all kinds of birds over and over in our travels, but we don’t always stop to admire them. Why does the osprey get special treatment? Their size, sleekness, and sheer presence has a lot to do with it. But it is also human nature to fixate on those animals firmly fixed 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.

Juvenile Osprey Pandio haliaetus. New York, July 2008
(aged as a juvenile by the faint ochre colour to the body feathers and the pale tips to the upperwing feathers)

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.

Ospreys (photos taken at Jamaica Bay, NY. © Charlie Moores)

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. Nor for that matter are Philadelphia, Baltimore, Arizona, or Atlanta. In 40 Super Bowl match-ups from 1967 to 2006, 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 27 of 39 contests, an organization named for a meat (not cheese) packer, chieftain, cowpoke, steel worker, indigenous American, gold miner, U.S. nationalist, or some species of pirate has won it all.