Florida is a land of swamps, wetlands, and sheltered, slow-moving streams – perfect habitat for the anhinga, a distinctive bird that can be seen year-round in virtually every part of the state.
Anhinga perched on a riverfront cypressIdentifying an Anhinga
A common sight in Florida, these large, slender waterbirds are easily recognized for two behaviors.
First, the “snake” thing, because they swim with just their head and neck above the surface and look like a snake moving through the water.
Next, back on shore after a snack and a swim, they perch on branches or logs with their wings and tail outspread.
Unlike other waterfowl, they do not have waterproof feathers and have to rely on Mother Nature to dry them off.
Often they can’t fly into a tree to dry off, but do so barely out of the waterIn addition to a long, S-shaped neck and a dagger-like bill, they have fanlike tails that resemble a turkey’s (which prompts their other nickname, water turkey).
Males are 34 to 36 inches tall and weigh, on average, about 2.7 pounds. They are glossy black with silver/white feathers on their wings and the tip of the tail.
Their bills, legs, and webbed feet are yellow to yellow-orange, and their eyes are blood red, except during mating season when they are encircled by a blue patch of skin.
Male anhingaFemales are of similar size and plumage, but their heads, neck, and breasts are browner than the male’s.
Newly hatched anhingas are bald but develop a tan down within a few days. White down replaces the tan after a couple weeks, followed shortly by brown juvenile feathers.
Young anhinga with downy neck feathersYoung birds stay mostly brown until their first breeding season, which is usually after their second or third winter.
Anhingas are frequently mistaken for double-breasted cormorants, which are of similar size, shape, and coloring. The easiest way to tell them apart is by their bills and tails.
Classic shape of tail and bill of anhingaThe anhinga’s tail is much wider and longer than the cormorant’s and the anhinga has a pointed bill while the cormorant has a hook at the tip.
In the air, the anhinga often rides thermals the way raptors and vultures do. Their slim bodies resemble a flying cross.
The head and tail stick straight out front and back and their wings are extended flat at their sides.
Where Anhingas Live
Members of the genus Anhinga live in warm, shallow waters and swamps worldwide. They prefer to nest in colonies with herons, ibis, storks and other waterbirds, building nests in tall trees near or overhanging the water.
Male anhinga in a red mapleAnhingas live year-round in Florida. The species is also what’s known as a short-distance partial migrant.
Their range extends from coastal sections of the Carolinas and Texas south to Florida, Mexico, Cuba, the Caribbean, and South America. Birds that migrate usually fly north to breed in March or April and return south in October.
Anhingas feed in freshwater, using their pointed bill to spear medium-sized fishes hiding in submerged vegetation.
Their diet typically consists of mullet, catfish, suckers, sunfish, and similar species, rounded out by shrimp, crayfish, tadpoles, water snakes, small turtles, aquatic invertebrates and insects, and baby alligators.
How Anhingas Nest
Anhingas like quiet surroundings in which to raise their young. They generally nest on the shores of sheltered waters such as freshwater marshes, wooded ponds, cypress swamps, and mangrove-lined lagoons.
Female anhinga at the base of a cypressTall trees, especially dead ones, allow them to build nests as much as 20 feet above the waterline, which helps protect nestlings from predators including snakes, hawks, and alligators.
Anhingas are monogamous and form life-long pair bonds. Courtship starts when the male chooses a nesting site.
His mating display includes some impressive aerial swooping and diving as well as waving of his wings, raising his tail up over his back, and pointing his bill toward the sky and then bowing deeply.
Anhinga vocalizingBoth birds participate in building the nest. The male brings all the materials and begins the process by making a platform of bulky sticks and green materials in a fork of his chosen tree.
The female finishes the project, lining the nest with green leaves, twigs, willow leaves, and catkins from live oaks, laurel oaks, or Florida willows.
Anhingas may return to the same nest year after year or take over the nest of a heron or egret. Though some pairs prefer isolated locations, the majority choose to nest in mixed colonies.
These include similar-sized waterbirds such as herons, egrets, ibis and cormorants as well as other anhingas. Colonies can range from a few birds to several hundred pairs.
Mating starts in late winter or early spring and the female lays her eggs in the spring and early summer. Anhingas have one brood a year. The clutch averages four bluish to pale green eggs. though it may contain anywhere from two to six.
Both parents incubate and feed the chicks. Most chicks hatch at 25 to 30 days and fledge at around six weeks, though they may stay with mom and dad for several more weeks before becoming truly independent.
After about three weeks of age, the chicks can, if threatened – or curious – drop into the water for a swim, then climb back up the tree into the nest.
Where to See Anhingas
Here are a few locations where we have personally observed anhingas in Florida.
Blue Spring State Park
Known for being the best place in Florida to see manatees, Blue Spring is also a haven for anhingas and other birds. The wildlife draws hordes of hikers, cyclists, kayakers, and photo enthusiasts.
Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park
If a place has “anhinga” in the name, you are pretty much guaranteed to see a few. Make that a lot. This trail is an effortless way for visitors to experience the vast, watery wilderness that covers much of South Florida. Be careful though – the alligators here are real and very close.
Along the Anhinga TrailCircle Bar B Reserve
This former cattle ranch located between Lakeland and Auburndale features restored wetlands – a favorite anhinga habitat – plus an extensive network of trails and fabulous birding opportunities.
Anhinga with its fresh catch at Circle Bar BChassahowitzka River Trail
Anhingas and other wildlife abound at this spring-fed river near the Gulf of Mexico. Dense and jungle-like, the trail gives visitors a glimpse of what Florida looked like in pre-colonial times.
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