Anhinga Bird: The Snakebird of Southern Wetlands

The Anhinga bird looks like a creature assembled from several very different animals. It has a heron-like neck, a cormorant-shaped body, and a broad tail resembling a turkey’s.

Then it slips into the water and becomes something else entirely.

An Anhinga often swims with most of its body hidden below the surface. Only its narrow head and winding neck remain visible. This unusual silhouette has earned it the nickname snakebird.

After fishing, the bird climbs onto a branch and spreads its broad wings toward the sun. The pose may look dramatic, but it helps dry feathers that become soaked during underwater hunts.

Quick Facts

Common name	Anhinga
Scientific name	Anhinga anhinga
Family	Anhingidae
Length	29.5–37.4 inches (75–95 centimeters)
Wingspan	About 42.9 inches (109 centimeters)
Weight	46.7–47.6 ounces (1.32–1.35 kilograms)
Diet	Primarily small and medium-sized fish
Habitat	Shallow lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, lagoons, and slow-moving waterways
Range	Southeastern United States through Mexico, Central America, and South America
Conservation status	Least Concern

Anhingas are larger than American Coots but slightly smaller than Double-crested Cormorants. Their unusually long necks and tails make them appear larger than their weight suggests.

Description

Anhingas are large, slender waterbirds built for swimming, diving, and soaring.

Their long neck forms a loose S shape when the bird is perched. A narrow, sharply pointed bill extends from the small head. Unlike a cormorant’s hooked bill, an Anhinga’s bill resembles a straight dagger.

The broad wings contain silver-white markings that create a striking pattern against the darker feathers. Their long, fan-shaped tails have pale tips and resemble a turkey’s tail when spread.

Male Anhinga

Adult males are mostly glossy black. Silver-white feathers form streaks and patches across the wings and upper back.

During breeding season, the skin around a male’s eyes may become bright blue. His eyes can also appear deep red, making an already unusual bird look even more prehistoric.

Female Anhinga

Females have pale buff or tan feathers covering the head, neck, and upper breast. Their wings, backs, bellies, and tails remain dark.

Young Anhingas resemble females. However, immature birds usually appear softer and browner overall.

How to Identify an Anhinga

Look for these field marks:

• Long, thin, S-shaped neck
• Straight, dagger-like bill
• Very long, fan-shaped tail
• Dark body with silver-white wing markings
• Pale tan neck and breast on females and young birds
• Body riding extremely low in the water
• Wings frequently spread while perched
• Neck held straight in front during flight
• Cross-shaped silhouette while soaring

An Anhinga swimming with only its neck above water can look remarkably snake-like. At times, even the head disappears, leaving only the bill poking above the surface.

In flight, the neck and tail extend in opposite directions. The broad wings stretch across the middle, creating a shape similar to a flying cross.

Why Do Anhingas Spread Their Wings?

Anhingas regularly perch with their wings spread wide after swimming. This posture helps dry their feathers and warm their bodies.

Their plumage is less water-resistant than that of many other waterbirds. Water enters the feathers during a dive, reducing buoyancy and making it easier for the bird to remain submerged.

That advantage comes with a soggy price.

Once an Anhinga finishes hunting, it must climb onto a branch, log, bank, or piling. It then holds its wings open while sunlight and moving air dry the feathers.

The posture is so characteristic that a wing-spreading bird near a pond can often be identified from a considerable distance.

Diet

Fish make up most of an Anhinga’s diet. Common prey includes small and medium-sized fish living around underwater vegetation.

The bird swims slowly below the surface, using its feet for propulsion. Rather than chasing the fastest fish, it stalks prey through submerged plants and shallow water.

When a fish comes within reach, the Anhinga shoots its neck forward. Its partially opened bill strikes the fish along the side.

The bird then returns to the surface and works the fish free from its bill. It may toss the fish into the air before swallowing it headfirst.

Anhingas may also eat small amounts of:

• Crayfish
• Shrimp
• Aquatic insects
• Amphibians
• Small snakes
• Other aquatic invertebrates

However, fish remain their primary food.

Habitat and Range

Anhingas prefer shallow, sheltered water surrounded by trees, shrubs, logs, or exposed banks.

They are frequently found around:

• Freshwater ponds
• Wooded swamps
• Marshes
• Slow-moving rivers
• Cypress wetlands
• Reservoir edges
• Coastal lagoons
• Brackish bays
• Drainage canals

Open ocean and large stretches of deep water are less suitable. Anhingas need shallow hunting areas and nearby places where they can perch, rest, and dry their feathers.

Within the United States, they are most closely associated with Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. Their broader range extends through Mexico, Central America, and much of South America.

Northern populations may move south during winter. Birds living in warmer areas are more likely to remain throughout the year.

Along the upper Texas Gulf Coast, Anhingas are especially common from spring through fall. Some remain during winter, although they become less numerous during the cooler months.

Behavior

Anhingas divide their time between underwater hunting, wing drying, resting, and soaring.

While swimming, the body sits very low in the water. Wet feathers and dense bones reduce buoyancy, allowing the bird to sink with little effort.

On land, Anhingas can appear slightly awkward. Their feet are designed for swimming and gripping branches rather than walking long distances.

In the air, however, they are surprisingly graceful.

Anhingas use rising columns of warm air called thermals. They may soar thousands of feet above the ground with very little flapping. Their extended necks and long tails help distinguish them from vultures and other soaring birds.

Anhingas often feed alone. However, they may gather in groups at evening roosts and nest in colonies with other waterbirds.

They are generally quiet away from nesting areas. Near a nest, adults produce croaks, clicks, rattles, and hissing sounds.

Life History and Nesting

Anhingas usually build their nests in trees or dense shrubs near water. Branches hanging directly over a pond or swamp provide protection and an easy route to feeding areas.

They often nest in loose colonies containing several pairs or hundreds of birds. These colonies may also include herons, egrets, ibises, cormorants, and storks.

The male selects a site and begins building before attracting a mate. He places larger sticks across a fork in the tree and adds leafy material.

After pairing, the male gathers most of the remaining material. The female arranges it and completes the nest.

The finished structure is a bulky platform lined with leaves, fresh twigs, or other green vegetation.

A typical clutch contains two to five pale blue-green eggs. Both parents participate in incubation, which lasts approximately 26 to 30 days.

The chicks hatch nearly naked but with their eyes open. They can leave the main nest platform after about two or three weeks. However, they remain nearby and continue depending on their parents for food and protection.

Conservation Status

The Anhinga is currently classified as a species of Least Concern.

Its global breeding population has been estimated at approximately two million birds. North American populations increased during several decades of Breeding Bird Survey monitoring.

Even widespread birds depend on healthy habitat. Wetland drainage, shoreline development, pollution, and the removal of nesting trees can reduce suitable feeding and breeding areas.

Discarded fishing line presents another serious danger. Anhingas may become tangled while swimming or resting near popular fishing locations.

Protecting wetlands and properly disposing of fishing tackle benefits Anhingas and many other aquatic animals.

Fun Facts About Anhingas

• The name Anhinga comes from a Brazilian Tupi word associated with a snakebird or spirit of the woods.
• Anhingas are also called water turkeys because of their broad, fan-shaped tails.
• Their wet feathers help them sink below the surface without using large amounts of energy.
• An Anhinga may swim with only its head and neck visible.
• They can also sink completely, leaving only the pointed bill above water.
• Anhingas frequently soar high above wetlands using rising warm air.
• Males begin building nests before they have attracted mates.
• The oldest recorded wild Anhinga was at least 12 years old.
• Anhingas often breed beside herons, egrets, ibises, storks, and cormorants.
• Their hunting strategy relies more on careful stalking than high-speed pursuit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is an Anhinga called a snakebird?

An Anhinga often swims with most of its body submerged. Its long, narrow neck rises above the water and resembles a swimming snake.

Is an Anhinga a cormorant?

No. Anhingas and cormorants are different birds, although they often share the same wetlands.

Anhingas have straight, pointed bills and much longer tails. Cormorants have hooked bills, thicker bodies, and shorter tails.

Do Anhingas really spear fish?

Yes. An Anhinga thrusts its sharp bill into the side of a fish. It then surfaces, removes the fish from its bill, and swallows it.

Why do Anhingas need to dry their wings?

Their feathers absorb more water than those of many other waterbirds. Wet plumage helps them remain underwater but must be dried after swimming.

Can Anhingas fly well?

Anhingas are excellent fliers. They frequently circle high above wetlands while riding warm air currents.

Are Anhingas found in salt water?

They occasionally use brackish lagoons, coastal bays, and saltwater nesting colonies. However, they usually feed in shallow freshwater habitats.

Do Anhingas migrate?

Some do. Birds from the northern portion of the range move south during winter. Many Anhingas in warmer regions remain throughout the year.

Are Anhingas dangerous?

Anhingas are not considered dangerous to people. However, their sharp bills can be used defensively when a bird is frightened, trapped, or injured. Wildlife should always be observed from a respectful distance.

Naturalist’s Note

Anhingas are masters of transformation.

In the water, an Anhinga becomes little more than a moving neck. It glides silently through reflections and tangled vegetation before disappearing below the surface.

A few minutes later, the same bird may be perched above the wetland. Its wings stretch toward the sun while silver feathers flash against the dark body.

Then it launches into the air.

The awkward-looking swimmer becomes an effortless flier, circling high above the trees with barely a wingbeat.

That is part of the Anhinga’s charm. It never seems designed for only one world. It belongs equally to the water, the branches, and the open sky.

Similar Species

• Double-crested Cormorant: This cormorant has a heavier body, thicker neck, shorter tail, and hooked bill. It usually floats higher in the water than an Anhinga.
• Neotropic Cormorant: The Neotropic Cormorant is slender but still has a hooked bill and shorter tail. Breeding adults may show a thin white border around the facial skin.
• Great Blue Heron: Both birds have long necks and pointed bills. However, a Great Blue Heron folds its neck during flight. An Anhinga flies with its neck stretched forward.
• Turkey Vulture: A soaring Anhinga may briefly resemble a distant vulture. Look for the straight neck, narrow body, and long tail extending behind the wings.