Bird Guide

Anhinga vs Oriental Darter

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)

Anhinga

Anhinga anhinga

Large1.2 kgWetland

The anhinga is a large bird, measuring approximately 89 cm (35 in) in length (with a range of 75–95 cm (30–37 in)), with a 1.14 m (3.7 ft) wingspan. The A. a. anhinga subspecies is larger than A. a. leucogaster and has broader buffy tail tips. They weigh on average around 1.22 kg (2.7 lb), with a range of 1.04–1.35 kg (2.3–3.0 lb). The bill is relatively long (about twice the length of the head), sharply pointed, and yellow, and the webbed feet are yellow as well. The male is glossy black-green, including its wings and the base of its wings, while its tail is glossy black-blue.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Shiva Shenoy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Shiva Shenoy · cc-by
Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)

Oriental Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

Large1.5 kgWetland

The Oriental darter is like all other anhingas, a cormorant-like species that has a very long neck. The structure of the neck is as in other species of darter with strongly developed muscles about a kink in the neck at the 8th and 9th vertebrae that allows it to be flexed and darted forward with rapid force to stab fish underwater. The edges of the commissures of the mandible tips have minute inward pointing serrations that hold impaled fish. The adult plumage above is black and the wing coverts and tertials having silvery streaks along the shaft.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thorsten Hackbarth · CC BY 4.0

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