A what? you may ask? An Anhinga I say. I've seen these birds swimming or sunning themselves frequently in the many golf ponds in our area and didn't know what they were. Sounds like a great opportunity for the weekly SMAP contest!
These have a much longer neck than what you can see here, and the ones I've seen are a bit shy, often hanging out near the water or in it. This one was unusually high up in a tree when I spotted it and had to shoot it long distance with the Telephoto lens.
These are often seen sunning themselves with their wings spread on the sides of a river or pond. Unlike most waterbirds, their feathers are not waterproof. This allows them to more easily submerge themselves to hunt for fish.
They are found primarily in South America, and only in the southernmost reaches of the U.S. Their name was given to them by the Tupi Indians in Brazil, and means "evil spirit of the woods", or "devil bird". (source allaboutbirds.org)
They are also often called "snake bird" for their long neck as it sticks out of the water while the rest of their body is submerged. Another name for them is "Water Turkey" since their tail resembles turkey tail feathers as seen in the above photo.
Enjoy this? Be sure to check out other recent post of Florida Birds Here.
Really loving all the new and diverse wildlife here to photograph.
