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    Anhinga – Anhingas

    Nicknamed ‘snakebirds’ because they hunt with just their head and long s-shaped neck extending above the water’s surface

    Also known as darters, members of this family live in tropical and subtropical freshwater habitats where small fish and other prey can be found. Like their cormorant cousins, darters don’t have waterproof plumage. Their perfect environments include shallow lakes, rivers, and wetlands with trees to perch on because they need to dry their feathers after each hunt.

    They build bulky twig nests in trees and bushes close to the water. Darters swim slowly, most of their bodies beneath the water’s surface, paddling with their webbed feet. They use their long sharp bills to spear their catch through its side underwater. They then toss the fish from their beak into the air and swallow it.