Osprey

The hidden date for this stamp can be found in the bottom-right corner.

The fifth release in Canada Post's handsome Birds of Canada series features four dramatically diverse winged animals: the Canada warbler, Pacific loon, osprey and blue jay. This set of four domestic-rate stamps will be available in a pane of 20, a self-adhesive booklet of 12, regular and signed uncut press sheets and on an Official First Day Cover to be cancelled at Lindsay, Ontario.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Sometimes called a fish hawk, or fishing eagle, the osprey is in fact neither a hawk nor an eagle. Rather, it is the only member of an Accipitridae sub-family that is characterized by fish-eating habits and peculiar anatomical adaptations for capturing fish. The osprey's wings are long and narrow and bend at the wrist like those of gulls. Wingspans range from 147 to 183 cm and the stiff plumage is well adapted for diving into the water to capture prey. A migratory bird, the osprey is known to winter from the southern United States, to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. It can be found south of the treeline across Canada during the warmer months, but does not breed in much of southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Osprey have been reported to travel distances up to 20 kilometres from the nest while in search of food.