osprey

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A fish-eating hawk (Pandion haliaetus) having plumage that is dark on the back and white below. Also called fish hawk.
2. n. A plume formerly used to trim women's hats.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A diurnal bird of prey of the family Falconidæ and the genus Pandion; a fish-hawk. There is probably but one species, Pandion haliaetus, of almost world-wide distribution, running into several geographical races or varieties which have been specifically named. It is a large hawk, nearly or quite 2 feet long, and 4½ feet In extent of wings, of a dark Vandyke brown above, the feathers more or less laced with white, the head, neck, and under parts white, with blackish streaks on the crown, a blackish postocular stripe on the nape, and the breast more or less covered with dusky spots. The coloration varies much in the relative amounts of light and dark colors, and the young are darker than the old birds. The feet are, very large and roughly granulated, and the talons are all of great size; the outer toe is versatile. The osprey builds a bulky nest in a tree, on a rock, or on the ground, and the nests sometimes acquire enormous dimensions from yearly repairs and additions. The eggs, two or three in number, average about 2.5 by 1.75 inches in size, and are usually heavily marked with various shades of browns and reds. The fish-hawk, as its name implies, feeds on fish, which it catches by plunging from on the wing. Also called fishing-hawk, fishing-eagle.

Wiktionary

1. n. A bird of prey (Pandion haliaetus) that feeds on fish and has white underparts and long, narrow wings each ending in four finger-like extensions.
2. n. aigrette (ornamental feather)

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) The fishhawk (Pandion haliaetus).

WordNet 3.0

1. n. large harmless hawk found worldwide that feeds on fish and builds a bulky nest often occupied for years