Alternative name: Snakebird
- Anhinga melanogaster
Identification
85–97 cm (33½-38¼ in); A tall cormorant-like species
- Very long neck
- White lateral neck stripe
Male
- Glossy black overall plumage with white streaks
Females and immature birds are browner.
Similar species
African Darter and Australasian Darter
Distribution
From Iraq east to Pakistan, India and to south-eastern Asia, Malay Archipelago and Philippine Islands.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It was formerly lumped with African Darter and Australasian Darter.
Habitat
Clean, shallow water in lakes, fresh and alkaline; and big rivers.
Behaviour
Often swims with only the neck above water.
Diet
![](/wiki/images/thumb/2/26/Oriental_Darter.jpg/350px-Oriental_Darter.jpg)
They spear their prey underwater (mainly fish but also other aquatic animals e.g. water snakes, frogs, crustaceans etc.) as they swim.
Breeding
They construct a stick nest in a tree; the clutch consists of 3-6 eggs. They often nest with herons, egrets and cormorants.
Vocalisation
Recording by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, India, Dec-2015
An individual sitting on a dry branch, in front, called twice as we were trying to capture perfect sunset.
Gallery
Click images to see larger version
Fledglings
© by Alok Tewari
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, India, September-2018
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved March 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Oriental Darter. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Oriental_Darter
External Links
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