Credit: Larry Bond
North American field guide
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
Also known as:Snakebird, Darter, American Darter, Water Turkey
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Identification
Field notes
89 cm (35") Common in cyprus swamps, wooded ponds, rivers, lakes. Large, dark, aquatic birds. Long tail. Long bill and neck give it a snake-like appearance in flight or when in the water with its body submerged. Dark greenish back with white spots or streaks on back and wings. They spear fish with their long, sharply pointed bill. Long snake-like head and neck. Similar to cormorants but tail is much longer. Dive from the surface and often swim submerged to the neck with their bill tilted upward. May be seen perch with wings spread to dry.
Male has dark head and breast.
Female is buff.
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Watch and learn
Videos
Anhinga- Designed for Survival
Credit: Odyssey EarthFlorida Everglades | The Anhinga Trail
Credit: tonymagona334Where it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
Bird Advisor Identification rules 2 variants · 4 rules
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Anhinga (Male)
2 rulesRule 1 13 criteria · confidence 5
- What color was the UNDERSURFACE of the wing as seen in flight ?
- Dark · Unknown
- In FLIGHT did the bird display a LIGHT WING STRIPE or PATCH ?
- Yes · Unknown
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Gull-like, or a Seabird · Duck or Goose-like
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southeastern United States
Rule 2 13 criteria · confidence 1
- What color was the UNDERSURFACE of the wing as seen in flight ?
- Dark · Unknown
- In FLIGHT did the bird display a LIGHT WING STRIPE or PATCH ?
- Yes · Unknown
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- Green · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Gull-like, or a Seabird · Duck or Goose-like
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States
Anhinga (Female or Immature)
2 rulesRule 1 13 criteria · confidence 5
- What color was the UNDERSURFACE of the wing as seen in flight ?
- Dark · Unknown
- In FLIGHT did the bird display a LIGHT WING STRIPE or PATCH ?
- Yes · Unknown
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Gull-like, or a Seabird · Duck or Goose-like
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southeastern United States
Rule 2 13 criteria · confidence 1
- What color was the UNDERSURFACE of the wing as seen in flight ?
- Dark · Unknown
- In FLIGHT did the bird display a LIGHT WING STRIPE or PATCH ?
- Yes · Unknown
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Green · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Medium · Long · Very long · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Goose-sized · Larger than a goose
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Gull-like, or a Seabird · Duck or Goose-like
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States