Anhinga

Anhinga, male, nonbreeding plumage

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Anhinga, female

Anhinga, swimming

Anhinga, male, breeding plumage

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Other Names

A bird of southern swamps, the Anhinga is known as the Water-Turkey for its swimming habits and broad tail, and also as the Snake-Bird for its habit of swimming with just its long head and neck sticking out of the water.

Cool Facts

• The Anhinga is frequently seen soaring high in the sky overhead. It is a graceful flier and can travel long distances without flapping its wings, much in the manner of a Turkey Vulture.

Description

• Size: 75-95 cm (30-37 in)
• Wingspan: 109 cm (43 in)
• Weight: 1325-1350 g (46.77-47.66 ounces)

• Large, dark water bird.
• Long thin neck.
• Long, thin, pointed bill.
• Long tail.
• Silver patches on wings.

Sex Differences

Male all black with silver patches on wings, female with brown head and neck.

Immature

Similar to adult female.

Similar Species

• Cormorants have shorter tails, shorter and blunter bills, and lack silvery wing patches.

Sound

A raspy croaking.

Range

Range Map

© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

About the map

Summer Range

Breeds from North Carolina southward through coastal states into Central and South America.

Winter Range

Winters from Florida and southern Louisiana southward.

Other Names

Anhinga d¿Amérique (French)
Anhinga americana, Pato aguja, Cotua agujita, Cotua real, Bigua vibora (Spanish)
Water-turkey, Snake-bird (English)

Sources used to construct this page:

Frederick, P. C., and D. Siegel-Causey. 2000. Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). In The Birds of North America, No. 522 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.