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ABOUT THIS SPECIES

ANHINGA – (Species Account Blog #76)

TAXONOMIC TREE:  

• ORDER: Suliformes,
• FAMILY: Anhingidae,
• BINOMIAL NAME: Anhinga anhinga

The Anhinga is among the most distinctive of North American birds, with long, snakelike neck, straight bill, large fanlike tail resembling that of a turkey (Meleagris gallopavo; from which the former name Water Turkey was derived), corrugations on its central rectrices, and unique swimming, flight, and behavior patterns. This truly aquatic species spends its life in water or on branches overhanging protected, usually freshwater streams and ponds. Unlike most aquatic birds, Anhingas have fully wettable plumage and dense bones, adaptations that allow them to achieve neutral buoyancy in water, facilitating a slow, stalking hunting habit while submerged in shallow aquatic vegetation, where they spear fish. (from Birds of the World)

SIMILAR SPECIES

Anhinga is the only member of its family (Anhingidae) in the Americas. Whether it is perched, flying, or swimming, the unique structure and plumage pattern of the Anhinga make it unlikely to be confused with any other species in the Americas.

DISTRIBUTION

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PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES

In Costa Rica we observed Anhinga near the Chilamate Rainforest EcoRetret and while on the boat tour at the mouth of the Tárcoles River.

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PHOTO GALLERY

**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.

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RECENT BLOG POSTS

View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.

• A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
• PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding