The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what's going on around you. What's the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or snakies in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like photos. :)
Anhinga anhinga is found from the Amazon River basin up to the Southeastern United States. The population in Central and North America is regarded as a separate subspecies, Anhinga anhinga leucogaster. Other birds in the same family, known as “Darters”, can be found in Africa, southern Asia, and Australia. In southern Florida and the Caribbean, Anhingas are year-round residents; more northern populations migrate south for the winter. Isolated Anhingas have sometimes been sighted in summer as far north as New Jersey.
Standing almost three feet tall and with a wingspan of almost four feet, the Anhinga is a strikingly handsome bird, with dark feathers on the back and belly and silvery-white speckles on the back of the wings. In males, the head and throat are dark with a greenish tinge; in females they are lighter brown in color. Anhingas can be distinguished from Cormorants by their long straight beak (Cormorants have hooked beaks) and their thinner build.
Unlike other waterbirds such as ducks, Anhingas do not have large oil glands to waterproof their feathers--they produce just enough oil to insulate the skin from the water. This allows water to push out any air bubbles in the feathers, preventing buoyancy and allowing the bird to dive and maneuver underwater. But it also means that the feathers become waterlogged, and once the bird emerges from the water it must spread its wings in the sun to dry to rid itself of the excess weight.
Anhingas usually breed once per year, in early spring. Both sexes develop bright blue rings around their eyes during mating season. While some breeding pairs may stay together for several years, others find new partners each season. The males will gather materials for nest-making—grasses and twigs—and pile them up in a nesting spot to attract a mate. If a female finds the display suitable, she will join in and use the material to construct a nest, either on the ground or on a tree branch. She will then lay one egg every couple of days, until reaching a clutch size of 4-6 eggs. Although Anhingas usually nest together in large colonies, each pair is fiercely territorial and defends their nest from others who may try to steal nest material. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 25-30 days before hatching. The young are fed on regurgitated fish.
At about three weeks, the young Anhingas can leave the nest and clamber around, and at six weeks they are capable of flight. They leave their parents at around nine or ten weeks, and reach maturity at two years. As they grow, Anhingas periodically molt and replace all of their feathers. During this period, they are unable to fly, and will carefully hide in tall reeds or shore vegetation.
Wild Anhingas have lived up to 16 years.
Some Anhingas I have met over the years:
Diving for fish underwater
Got one!
Drying the wings
Female in breeding livery (and you can see by the twisted neck how they got the name “Snakebirds”)
Anhinga nestlings
And now it is your turn: what’s swimming around in your neck of the woods?
We are always looking for new people to produce Daily Buckets, where we practice "backyard science" by reporting and recording what we have seen in the natural world around us (and no matter where you are--even in the middle of the city--there is nature around you). You don't need any science degrees or training or in-depth experience to be a backyard scientist, and you don't need any expensive camera equipment or photo-editing software to do Daily Buckets. All you need is a pair of eyes and ears, a phone with a camera, and a lot of curiosity and enthusiasm.
