Shorebirds & Seabirds
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
Nicknamed the "snakebird" because it swims with only its long, thin neck above water. It spears fish with its sharp bill and dries its wings in the sun.
How to identify it
- Very long, thin, S-shaped neck and small head
- Straight, sharp, dagger-like bill (not hooked)
- Long, fan-shaped tail
- Male: black with silvery-white streaks on the wings; female: buff-colored head and neck
- Soars high on thermals like a hawk
SizeAbout the size of a Canada Goose
American Crow19 in
Anhinga34 in
Canada Goose37 in
Great Blue Heron46 in
6 inAverage length, bill to tail
Details
- Size
- 30–37 in long; wingspan 43–48 in
- Weight
- about 2.6 lb
- Habitat
- Freshwater swamps, ponds and slow rivers with perching trees
- When to see it
- Year-round in Florida and the Gulf Coast; summer in the Carolinas
- Diet
- Fish
Range in the United States
Life history
Food
Swims slowly underwater and spears fish with its sharp bill, then flips them in the air to swallow headfirst.
Nesting
A platform of sticks in trees over water, often near herons and cormorants.
- Clutch
- 2–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 25–29 days
- Young
- Fledge at about 6 weeks
- Broods
- 1 per year
Behavior
Swims with only its neck above water and spends long periods drying its wings. Soars high on thermals like a hawk.
Conservation
Common in southern wetlands; stable.
Cool facts
- Low body fat and wettable feathers let it sink and stalk fish underwater.
- Its neck has a special hinge that works like a spring for spearing prey.
- It's also called the "water turkey" because of its fan-shaped tail.
Songs & calls
▶Bird sounds video coming soon
Watch the Anhinga
▶Video coming soon
