The Foot of an Osprey
The foot of an osprey is unlike that of any other hawk. With four
equal toes, one of them capable of pointing forward or backward,
ospreys' feet look more like an owl's foot than that of its closer
relatives, the hawks and eagles.
The toes, feet and lower legs are covered with heavy white, light
gray, greenish or yellow scales. The underside of the foot is
covered in short, sharp spikes, known as spicules, which with the
long, sharp talons, provide a firm grip on wet, slippery fish.
The black talons, like the toes, are different than the talons of
most other birds of prey. Each talon is nearly cylindrical,
rounded on the top and bottom, while most other birds of prey
have flat or indented spaces on the underside of the talons.
Together, these characteristics, combined with its powerful wings
and strong legs, allow the osprey to catch and carry fish that weigh nearly as much as it does.
The Leg
The legs of the osprey are specialized instruments. With a scaled, heavy shank and extremely
thick, short feathering on the thighs, the leg of an osprey stands out from those of other raptors.
Capable of lifting large fish and heavy sticks for its nests, the legs of an osprey are heavily muscled.
In conjunction with the powerful wings and strong feet, the osprey's legs allow it to grab and fly off
with fish up to 3 feet below the surface of the water, an incredible feat.
For more information on ospreys, click on the pictures below.
General Info || Legs & Foot || Eyes || Beak & Mouth
Wings || Plumage || Feeding || Young Chicks || Breeding & Nests
Terms of Use - Copyright 2009 Central Vermont Public Service
Copyright 2002-2003 photos CVPS, Gustav W. Verderber, Floyd Scholz
and Department of Fish & Wildlife
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