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Oriental darter

Anhinga melanogaster

Description:

The Oriental darter or Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster) is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has a long and slender neck with a straight, pointed bill and, like the cormorant, it hunts for fish while its body submerged is in water. It spears a fish underwater, bringing it above the surface, tossing and juggling it before swallowing the fish head first. The body remains submerged as it swims, and the slender neck alone is visible above the water, which accounts for the colloquial name of snakebird. Like the cormorants, it has wettable feathers and it is often found perched on a rock or branch with its wings held open to dry.

1 Species ID Suggestions

SavioSavz
SavioSavz 8 years ago
Oriental darter
Anhinga melanogaster Oriental darter


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SavioSavz
Spotted by
SavioSavz

Kerala, India

Spotted on May 10, 2015
Submitted on Jun 12, 2015

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