Hello and welcome.

This is the Science of Birds.

I am your host, Ivan Philipson.

The Science of Birds podcast is a light-hearted exploration of bird biology for lifelong learners.

This episode, which is number 114, is all about the Ospre.

This bird's scientific name is Pandian Halliitis.

It's a distinct handsome raptor, and it's found across most of the world,

and it has many fans among bird lovers. If I had to pick just one word to associate with the

Osprey, that word would be fish. This bird is all about catching and eating fish. It's not surprising then that some

other common names in English for this species include fish hawk, fishing hawk, and river hawk.

But I say why stop there? How about aqua hawk or river raptor, stream eagle or H2O spray, H2-O spray. I don't know. Yeah, and just where

did the name Osprey come from anyway? Well, stick around and we'll answer that in a little bit.

Something I had to double check when I sat down to create this episode was the correct word to describe more than one osprey.

In other words, what's the plural form of osprey?

The answer is ospreys.

So just like one might say, look at all those chickens.

Look at all those chickens. We should say, look at all those chickens. Look at all those chickens.

We should say, look at all those ospreys.

But part of my dumb little brain wants me to say, look at all those osprey.

Maybe because it seems to have the word prey tucked in there, and prey is the same in both

singular and plural form.

And with birds,

...