Female Anhinga In Florida

Title

Female Anhinga In Florida

Artist

Catherine Sherman

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

"Female Anhinga Dries Her Feathers" by Catherine Sherman.

A female anhinga dries her feathers while perched on a branch in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Unlike most waterbirds, the anhinga doesn't have waterproof feathers. While that may seem like a disadvantage for their watery lifestyle, their wet feathers and dense bones help them slowly submerge their bodies under the water so they can stalk fish.

The Anhinga's distinctive shape earned it the nickname "water turkey" for its turkey-like tail, and "snake bird" for its long snakelike neck as it slithers through the water. The origin of the name snakebird is apparent when swimming : only the colored neck appears above water so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike.

Because it doesn't have waterproof feathers, the anhinga is able to dive deeper underwater to find prey, including fish and amphibians. (Ducks and other water birds coat their feathers with oil from their uropygial gland). Because the anhinga is barely buoyant, it can stay below the surface more easily and for longer periods of time.

If it attempts to fly while its wings are wet, the anhinga has difficulty, flapping vigorously while "running" on the water. As do cormorants when drying their feathers, the anhinga will stand with wings spread and feathers fanned open in a semicircular shape

Anhinga species are found all over the world in warm shallow water.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 140,000 acres (57,000 ha) U.S. National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Atlantic coast of Florida's largest barrier island. NASA's Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are also situated on the island. There are public hiking and driving trails.

The NWR contains over 1000 species of plants; 117 species of fish; 68 amphibians and reptiles; 330 species of birds; and 31 mammal species, of which 21 species are listed as endangered by the state of Florida or by the US federal government.

Uploaded

March 5th, 2019

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