This week I got to see an osprey! He even had a juicy fish to snack on.
Predatory birds are some of my favorite animals to watch (second only to chickens, of course), but watching an osprey down and catch a fish mid-flight is notably more exciting than watching a chicken gobble down pellets.
Now I know what you’re all probably thinking:
“How do they see the fish in the water without goggles??”
I wondered the same thing!
Unlike us humans who have two eyelids, many animals actually have three. This third eyelid is called the nictitating membrane (Try saying that five times fast!).
In most predatory birds, the nictitating membrane is clear. It helps protect the birds eyes during high-speed dives, keeping their corneas from drying out while still retaining clear vision. Or, in the ospreys case, it also helps them see underwater as they dive for prey- basically giving them built in goggles!
I wish I had those. Preferably the unicorn shaped goggles.
Here’s a fun site in case you want to read up on some more fun osprey facts:
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