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Two subspecies are recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>: | Two subspecies are recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>: | ||
*''A. a. leucogaster'': | *''A. a. leucogaster'': | ||
| − | :*South-eastern [[US]] to [[Panama]], [[Cuba]] and | + | :*South-eastern [[US]] to [[Panama]], [[Cuba]] and Isle of Pines |
*''A. a. anhinga'': | *''A. a. anhinga'': | ||
:*[[Trinidad]], [[Tobago]] and northern [[South America]] to northern [[Argentina]] | :*[[Trinidad]], [[Tobago]] and northern [[South America]] to northern [[Argentina]] | ||
[[Image:615 10825fg Anhinga Fledgling.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Fledgling<br />Photo © by {{user|bobsofpa|bobsofpa}}<br />Venice Rookery, [[Florida]], [[USA]], May 2015]] | [[Image:615 10825fg Anhinga Fledgling.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Fledgling<br />Photo © by {{user|bobsofpa|bobsofpa}}<br />Venice Rookery, [[Florida]], [[USA]], May 2015]] | ||
| + | |||
==Habitat== | ==Habitat== | ||
Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes. | Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes. | ||
Revision as of 08:31, 19 August 2019
- Anhinga redirects here. For the genus Anhinga, see Anhinga
- Anhinga anhinga
Identification
L. 35" (89 cm); Ws. 45" (114 cm)
- Slender
- Dark body
- Long tail and neck
Male:
- Jet black with green iridescence
- Dramatic silver and white markings on upper back and forewings
- Long, sharp yellow bill
- Red eyes with blue skin
Female:
- Dark brown overall
- Lighter brown head, neck, and breast
Distribution
In the U.S., it is found all along the Gulf of Mexico coast, inland east Texas to Florida.
It is also found along a narrow strip on the southwest coast of Mexico, in Cuba (vagrant in the rest of the Caribbean), and in Central and South America from Guatemala, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago south to Argentina (but not Chile).
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- A. a. leucogaster:
- A. a. anhinga:
- Trinidad, Tobago and northern South America to northern Argentina
Habitat
Freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes.
Behaviour
Action
Dives frequently for fish, which it spears with its long sharp bill, then tosses them in the air until it can swallow them headfirst.
The colloquial name, Snakebird, can be quite descriptive when this bird is in the water - it swims with its body mostly submerged, and just the long sinuous neck above. On quick glance, it can thus appear to be a swimming snake. The other common posture is on a tree near or over water, where it spends hours with wings extended, drying in the sun; unlike ducks, it has no oil with which to waterproof its feathers, an adaptation to improve its diving ability.
Diet
Their diet consists mostly of fish, with the addition of frogs, newts and salamanders also featuring.
Breeding
Monogamous. They often breed colonially and sometimes with Cormorants
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Orta, J., Garcia, E.F.J., Kirwan, G.M. & Boesman, P. (2019). Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52665 on 19 August 2019).
- Frederick, P. C. and D. Siegel-Causey (2000). Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.522
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Anhinga. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Anhinga
External Links
- Anhinga USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
- Anhinga videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Arthur Grosset's Birds
