As the calendar approaches September, my thoughts turn to raptor watching and the birds I will see, as I described in a previous blog. Over the coming weeks, I will share profiles of some of these magnificent birds that pass over Toronto.

One of our early migrants is the Osprey. Many of them have spent the summer in Northern Ontario and Quebec. People enjoy seeing the adults raising young around their cottages, which are located along lakes and rivers.

The Osprey is a fish-eating specialist. This large raptor is specialized for catching fish, as it dives into water after them. It has dense oily plumage; long legs; large, long-taloned feet; and a reversible outer toe, which forms a four-cornered net of talons for holding onto its slippery prey The Osprey has a “crooked” wing, which may help absorb the impact of plunging into water. Also, that shape helps it lift out of the water. I love to see them rise out of the water, shaking themselves off like a dog does. The wings of gulls are similarly shaped, since they launch themselves from the water, too.

The Osprey is a narrow-winged, boldly patterned bird. It is all dark above except for a white crown, and mainly white below except for a dark necklace on the upper breast, which is heavier on females. (Girls should always have the best bling!) The bird is between the sizes of a large buteo and a Bald Eagle.

The Osprey’s fall migration mainly takes place between mid-August and mid-October. They typically migrate alone, although they may join Broad-winged Hawk in thermals, rising quickly through the smaller raptors.

When someone yells “Osprey” at the hawk watch that I attend, people’s heads swivel, bins go up and the cameras click. As I watch them go, I feel lucky that I will see them again soon in Florida, as we join them in being snowbirds.

Note: All photos are from Wikipedia Commons, an online source of copyright-free photos: Top picture by NASA (taken at Kennedy Space Center); Osprey on nest by Jules Verne Times Two; Osprey carrying fish by Sumeet Moghe.