Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 47,711
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The anhinga, sometimes called darter, American darter, snakebird, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from a'ñinga in the Brazilian Tupi language and means "devil bird" or "snake bird". The origin of the name is apparent when swimming: only the neck appears above water, so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nares (nostrils) and breathe solely through their epiglottis, via small opercula at the corners of the beak.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Anhinga”.