Anhinga

Identification

The anhinga is a large water bird approximately 89 cm in length with a 1.14 m wingspan, weighing around 1.22 kg on average. The most distinctive feature is its long, slender, sharply pointed yellow bill—about twice the length of its head—combined with a uniquely kinked neck that gives the bird its characteristic "snake-like" appearance when swimming. Only the neck breaks the water's surface, creating the illusion of a snake ready to strike, which inspired one of its common names.

Males display glossy black-green plumage on the body and wings, with a glossy black-blue tail tipped in white and elongated gray or light purple-white feathers on the back of the head and neck. The upper back and wings are spotted or streaked with white. Females are noticeably different, featuring a pale gray-buff or light brown head, neck, and upper chest, with a chestnut-colored lower chest and browner back. Both sexes have distinctive yellow webbed feet. Anhingas can be distinguished from the similar double-crested cormorant by their wider and longer tail, straighter bill without a hook-tip, and their ability to glide in flight.

Range & Habitat

The anhinga inhabits the warmer parts of the Americas, with two recognized subspecies. The subspecies A. a. anhinga is found mainly east of the Andes in South America, extending to Trinidad and Tobago, while A. a. leucogaster inhabits the southern United States, Mexico, Cuba, and the Caribbean island of Grenada. The species prefers warm, shallow waters and swamplands throughout its range.

Most anhingas are year-round residents within their range, though birds living at the extreme northern or southern edges migrate seasonally, traveling closer to the equator during winter months. This movement is governed by temperature and available sunshine rather than traditional migration patterns. Notably, anhingas have been recorded as vagrants as far north as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and New York, well beyond their typical distribution.

Behaviour & Diet

Anhingas are specialist fish hunters that pursue prey underwater by kicking their webbed feet, then spear fish and amphibians with rapid extensions of their bent neck. They surface to consume and swallow their catch. Unlike ducks, ospreys, and pelicans, anhingas lack waterproof feathers and an oil-secreting uropygial gland, causing their plumage to become saturated when submerged. This adaptation—combined with their dense bones and neutral buoyancy—allows them to fully submerge for underwater hunting.

After diving, anhingas must dry their feathers, adopting a characteristic posture with wings outstretched and fanned open in a semicircular shape, facing away from the sun. This behavior serves dual purposes: drying the plumage and absorbing solar radiation to counteract heat loss, since anhingas lose body heat relatively quickly. Anhingas feed on moderately sized wetland fish, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, and insects, including mullet, sunfish, bass, killifish, crayfish, crabs, shrimp, tadpoles, water snakes, and small terrapins.

Best Time & Places to See It

Anhingas are best observed in warm, shallow wetland habitats with vegetation where they hunt fish. The southern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean provide reliable locations for the northern subspecies, while South America offers opportunities for the larger eastern subspecies. Since most anhingas do not migrate seasonally, they can be found year-round in suitable habitats within their range.

Look for anhingas perched on fallen trees, logs, or rocks near the water's edge with their distinctive wings spread open to dry. Early morning hours when birds are actively drying and basking are particularly good times for observation and photography. Migrating kettles of anhingas traveling with other bird species offer dynamic viewing opportunities for patient observers.

Photography Tips

The anhinga's most photogenic moment occurs when it is drying on a perch with wings fully spread and fanned open—a striking pose that reveals the white spotting on the back and wings against the dark plumage. Position yourself to capture the bird facing away from the sun to record the characteristic drying posture that earned it the "water turkey" nickname.

Photographing anhingas hunting underwater requires patience and positioning near shallow vegetation where they stalk fish. Capture the serpentine neck extended above the water surface to emphasize the species' distinctive appearance. Early morning light is ideal for revealing the glossy iridescence of male plumage and the subtle color differences between males and females.