General Description: Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga) are dark, diving birds with a long, snake-like neck and a long, straight bill. Adult males are black overall with white scapulars and a tan tail band. Females are similar, except for gray-brown on the head and neck.

Also called "snake birds," anhingas have an odd habit of swimming with only their long neck sticking out of the water, looking somewhat like a snake. When fishing, anhingas sometimes spearfish using their sharp, pointed bill to skewer fish.

Taxonomy: Suliformes, Anhingidae.

Favored Habitat: Freshwater ponds, rivers, and lakes with lots of fish to eat.

Where to Find: Don't look for Anhinga around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them from south Texas to Florida and points south. Ding Darling NWR, the City of Dunedin, and Everglades National Park are good places to see these birds. Also look for them in South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Comments: Anhinga are water birds, but they lack the ability to keep their feathers dry. While this reduces buoyancy and aids in swimming underwater, they must climb out of the water and dry the feathers before they can fly. Therefore, anhingas are often seen standing on a stick or other dry item and holding their wings and tail out to dry. This behavior often is accompanied by lots of busy preening.