Birds Feeding on Fish

Fish are another food source for which birds have evolved many different foraging styles. Herons and egrets wade quietly, waiting to strike at a fish in shallow water. Kingfishers, pelicans, terns, and bobbies all dive from above the water, using their bills to capture fish they have already sighted. Ospreys also hover above the water, folding their wings to dive, seemingly headfirst, after sighting their prey. But high-speed photography shows that just before the impact the Osprey reverses its body position and stretches its legs downward with talons open. Like all other hawks and eagles, the Osprey uses its talons, not its bill, to capture prey. Upon emerging from the water with a fish, an Osprey grasps the fish in its two talons, one behind the other, so the fish faces in the same direction as the flying Osprey. It also usually shakes violently to rid its plumage of water. Both these behaviors prepare it for more efficient flight to a feeding site on a cliff, nest, or telephone pole.

The Brown Pelican dives from the air, pursuing small fish that live just beneath the surface of the water. A split second after the pelican hits the water in its dive, its bill pouch balloon out to an enormous size, and acting like a net to help capture the fish. The pelican's bill then drains of water almost as quickly as it filled, and the bird is left with a delicious and satisfying meal.