Anhingidae

Anhingidae is a family of birds that comprises a single genus, Anhinga, and four extant species. These birds are commonly known as anhingas or darters. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, inhabiting freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, and swamps. Anhingas are characterized by their long, slender necks, sharp, dagger-like beaks, and largely black plumage with silvery or white markings.

Anhingas are primarily piscivorous, meaning they feed on fish. They are adept swimmers and divers, often using their streamlined bodies and powerful legs to pursue prey underwater. Unlike many other water birds, anhingas swim with their bodies submerged, with only their necks and heads visible above the surface, giving them a snake-like appearance, which contributes to another common name, "snakebird." To aid in diving and swimming, their bones are denser than those of many other birds, and they possess less buoyant fat. After hunting, they frequently perch on branches with their wings spread wide to dry their feathers, which become waterlogged during their dives.

The four species within the Anhinga genus are the American anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) found in the Americas, the Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster) in Asia, the African darter (Anhinga rufa) in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Australasian darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) in Australia and New Guinea. These species share similar ecological roles and behaviors, though their geographic distributions are distinct. Anhingas typically nest in colonies, building large, bulky nests from sticks in trees or shrubs near water. They lay a clutch of pale blue or green eggs, and both parents participate in incubation and chick-rearing.