Anhinga

(Anhinga anhinga)

Last updated 2/15/96

The Anhinga is a bird of the south. You find it at water with wooded banks. It dives for fish, often spearing then with it’s long pointed beak. It swims with just its head and neck above the water. When it leaves the water it will perch in the sun with its wings extended. It is found in oxbow lakes and large ponds with lots of willows.

Superficially the Anhinga resembles a cormorant. It is not hard to distingish though. The neck is longer and slimer. The bill is pointed and slim. There is no gular pouch. In breeding plumage there is a large bright blue eye ring. The eye ring is not easy to see unless you are close.

Out of the water you can see the silver feathers on the back and upper wing when it has its wings extended. The tail has a light terminal band. That tail is long and fan shaped.

The Anhinga is not a strong flyer but a graceful glider. In the late summer they can be seen soaring high in kettles. Their profile is distinct. They hold there wings flat and straight. The neck is extended and the tail is long and fan shaped.

Some birds winter on the UTC, but it the early fall large migrating flocks are often seen at the Smith Point Hawk Watch.

My favorite place to find it is Brazos Bend State Park . Check Elm Lake, the Horseshoe Lakes, Creekfield Lake, and Hale Lake. It is listed on the checklists for Anahuac NWR , Attwater NWR , and Brazoria/San Bernard NWR's . I have also found it in Jones State Forest .

A breeding range map is available from the Breeding Bird Survey Page
A winter range map is available from the Christmas Bird Count Page

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