Subject: Osprey portrait, face forward, Pandion haliaetus

Location: At Corolla, Outer Banks, North Carolina

Stock Number: 07-37846

Comments: Ospreys can be seen hovering over the water, then plunging feet first into the water to make a catch. Typically the bird emerges with a fish clutched in one talon and it flies (sometimes with some difficulty) to a perch.

In the days of DDT use in the United States, Osprey numbers plummeted, and the U.S. government listed the species as endangered. An end to DDT use allowed the species to recover.