African Darter
 |
||
 |
Afrikaanse slanghalsvoël  African darter Anhinga rufa At the Grootvleidam, north-east of Mopani Kruger National Park |
 |
Description - Males are darker than females, and when breeding the mantle and wing coverts are more streaked with buff. The bill is grey. The male has a long white stripe running from the eye onto the neck. Females are paler brown, and their bill is cream-coloured. Sometimes mistaken for a cormorant, but the African Darter has a long, egret-like or snake-like neck and a long pointed straight, stiletto-like bill. Their rufous colour is also more prominent, and they are thinner.
Distribution - A common resident which is widespread in southern Africa.
Habitat - Freshwater dams, lakes, slow moving rivers, and occasionally lagoons and estuaries.
Biological - They swim very low in the water, often with just their head and neck protruding above the water surface, the neck curved and moving forward and backwards. Their swimming is due to the fact that their feathers are not water repellent. On that account upon leaving the water they spread their wings to dry in the air.
Diet - They spear their prey (mainly fish but also other aquatic animals such as snakes, frogs, crustaceans) underwater as they swim along. After spearing a fish they emerge from the water, throw the fish into the air with a swift movement of the neck, and then catch it again with their bill, swallowing it head first.
Breeding - They always nest near water, for example on branches overhanging water or on trees standing in the water. They nest communally alongside cormorants, ibises, herons and egrets. The nest comprises a platform made from small branches. Nestlings which cannot yet fly jump into the water if threatened.
Voice - A distinctive croaking.
Other names - Anhinga melanogaster - D Afrikanischer Schlangenhalsvogel - DK Afrikansk Slangehalsfugl - ES Aninga Africana, Aninga Común - F Anhinga d'Afrique, Anhinga roux - FI Afrikankäärmekaula - IT Ploto africanol - NL Afrikaanse Slangenhalsvogel - S Afrikansk ormhalsfågel - UK Snakebird
Websites
Kenya birds
Lacher (German)
Books
Ian Sinclair - A photographic guide to birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-553-7
Ian Sinclair et al. - Sasol birds of Southern Africa. Struik Publ. ISBN 1-86872-033-0
Kenneth Newman - Newman se voëls van Suider-Afrika. SAPPI. ISBN 1-868-12-758-3