Toot

Written by Richard Rathe on 2025-01-11 at 04:24

@cheriecreationstruck

I love #Anhingas!

The only bird in the #USA whose common, genus, species and family names are all the same!

They are often confused with #cormorants. They are very similar black waterbirds that dive for fish and spread their wings to dry afterward. Here are five #fieldmarks that will help distinguish between them:

1. Head/neck profile is very "sharp". Cormorants have bigger heads and hooked beaks.

2. Anhingas have a "turkey tail" with distinctive off-white feather tips.

3. Only the mature males are all black. The bird in your photo is either a female or immature.

4. If you get to see them drying their wings, they have beautiful silvery accents on their back and wings.

5. You can easily spot them in the air by their #flight pattern. Unlike cormorants, loons, and similar black waterbirds--they alternate between flapping and short glides. Flap, flap, flap--glide------repeat...

I was also told by a wildlife rescue person that they spear rather than grab their prey and to facilitate this they have small backward-facing barbs on their beaks.

In this photo you can see the upper bill penetrating the fish's tail!

I have no idea what they do with those clawed feet (they seem out of place) but they have always reminded me of the Alien from the #movie #DarkStar!

[#]Anhinga #Birds #Birding #NaturePhotography

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