Osprey flying over foggy coniferous forest with sun rays
© miroslav_1/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Avian angler
If fish can feel fear, they'd do well to direct it at the flying osprey in our photo. Much to their aquatic quarries' chagrin, ospreys are a cosmopolitan species seen over every continent but Antarctica—and these raptors are well-oiled fishing machines, literally and figuratively. Oily feathers and a sleek shape help ospreys slice through water when diving, and scales on their talons act like barbs on fish hooks to ensure slimy swimmers can't slip from their clutches.
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