Osprey (Pandionidae)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - HBW 2, p. 51

French: Balbuzard pêcheur German: Fischadler Spanish: Aguila Pescadora
Other common names: Fish Hawk

Taxonomy: Falco Haliaetus Linnaeus, 1758, Europe = Sweden.
Sometimes included within family Accipitridae, but usually in its own subfamily, Pandioninae. Race melvillensis often applied to birds from Indonesia to N Australia, but probably not valid; similar to cristatus. Four subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Scandinavia E to Japan and S to Mediterranean, Red Sea and Cape Verde Is; winters S to S Africa, India, W Indonesia and Philippines.
carolinensis (Gmelin, 1788) - Labrador W to Alaska and S to Florida and Arizona; winters S to Peru and S Brazil.
ridgwayi Maynard, 1887 - Caribbean, including Bahamas, Cuba and Belize.
cristatus (Vieillot, 1816) - Australia E to New Caledonia, and N through New Guinea to Java and Sulawesi.