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The Anhinga was one of 4 birds I really wanted to see while I was in Florida in September and I saw 3 of them! One male and two Females…I think.
It’s another pre-historic cool looking bird.
I think this is a male because his neck is black. He’s drying his wings.
Here’s the female also drying out her wings. Like Cormorants they don’t have waterproof feathers so they get on a perch or land and spread them open to dry them out.
As I crept closer to her to get a better shot I spooked her and off she flew.
Fun Facts:
- The Anhinga’s distinctive shape earned it the nickname “water turkey” for its turkeylike tail, and “snake bird” for its long snakelike neck as it slithers through the water.
- Unlike most waterbirds, the Anhinga doesn’t have waterproof feathers. While that may seem like a disadvantage for their watery lifestyle, their wet feathers and dense bones help them slowly submerge their bodies under the water so they can slyly stalk fish.
- The name Anhinga comes from the Tupi Indians in Brazil, meaning “devil bird” or “evil spirit of the woods.”
- The oldest recorded Anhinga was at least 12 years old when it was shot in Louisiana in 1948.
Fun facts gleaned from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Anhinga/overview
We may have a break from the wind and beat the rain this morning so I’m going birding with friends which means I’ll be a bit late checking out your blogs, and reading comments.
more to come…
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