USA/Florida: Everglades Nat’l Park – Anhinga

Anhingas (also known as darters) are unique birds that can be found in the Everglades National Park where they winter. They spend the rest of the year in the South America. The bird is also known as a snakebird since its long neck resembles a water snake when it’s swimming. Anhingas are great swimmers and hunt for fish by diving and swimming under water and using their beaks to literally harpoon and pierce fish. They don’t have nostrils which helps them dive for longer time. They also don’t produce oil like ducks and this makes them much less buoyant and helps them dive much deeper. When they finally come out from the water – the feathers are wet and they can’t fly until they dry up. Thus you can often see anhingas sitting on the shores or branches with their wings spread out wide.