Oriental darter

Totally Protected

Profile

Type
TERRESTRIAL
Common Name
Oriental darter
Local/Vernacular Name
Oriental darter
Scientific Name
Anhinga melanogaster
Family
ANHINGIDAE
Order
SULIFORMES
Class
AVES
Phylum
CHORDATA
Kingdom
ANIMALIA
Endemic
WLPO 1998
Totally Protected
IUCN Red List
NEAR THREATENED (NT)
IUCN Last Assessed
0000-00-00
IUCN Version
CITES Appendix
CITES Last Assessed
0000-00-00
CITES Version
Population Size (Estimate)
-
Morphological Description

The Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster) is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has a long and slender neck with a straight, pointed bill and, like the cormorant, it hunts for fish while its body is submerged in water. It spears a fish underwater, bringing it above the surface, tossing and juggling it before swallowing the fish head first. The body remains submerged as it swims, and the slender neck alone is visible above the water, which accounts for the colloquial name of snakebird. Like the cormorants, it has wettable feathers and it is often found perched on a rock or branch with its wings held open to dry.

Critical Habitat
Threat