Living on the West Coast, we don’t normally encounter the anhinga, a freshwater bird sometimes called the “snake bird.” The name comes from its ability to swim with its body submerged so that only its long neck protrudes out of the water, looking like a snake.
“When hunting fish, an Anhinga hangs motionless in the water or swims slowly just below the surface, its neck crooked, almost like a cobra’s,” says Michael Stein of BirdNote, which is featuring the anhinga this week as one of its birds of the week. “The Anhinga has specialized muscles and a hinge in its neck. And when an unwary fish swims close, the bird’s head darts forward, impaling its prey.”
Anhingas resemble cormorants, a species far more familiar to those of us in the Puget Sound region. Cormorants are typically found in saltwater areas, while anhingas are common in the Everglades and the bayous of the Gulf Coast. For other notable differences, check out the website Difference Between.
In Miami, there’s an elementary school near the Dolphin Mall named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas, author of the best-selling book “The Everglades: River of Glass” (1947). Douglas’ book helped people understand the value of wetlands across the country, and her later life’s work led to greater protections for The Everglades. After the school was named Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Elementary School, officials chose the anhinga as its mascot.
Not far from the eastern entrance to Everglades National Park lies the Anhinga Trail, a loop trail that goes 0.8 mile through a sawgrass marsh. The trail is popular because it puts people up close to lots of wildlife, including alligators and anhingas. Check out the description and video from the Everglades National Park website.
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