Scientific Name
Anhinga melanogaster
Status
Near Threatened
Size
Length: 85 - 97 cm
Weight: 1058 - 1815 g
Diet
Primarily fish, it also eats amphibians, aquatic invertebrates like insects and crustaceans, small water snakes and terrapins.
Appearance
The Oriental Darter is a long, slender waterbird with a snake-like neck and a long, pointed bill. Adults have black plumage above, brownish-black underparts, and a brownish head and neck that shade to black at the back. A pale line runs over the eye and down the throat, and the wings have silvery-white streaks along the shafts of the coverts and tertials.
Distribution
The Oriental Darter is considered a rare visitor. Its distribution includes freshwater wetlands, rivers, lakes and marshes.
Oriental Darters are known for their hunting technique, of spearing fish underwater with their sharp beaks, while only their heads and necks are visible above the surface. They are excellent swimmers due to their non-waterproof feathers, but after hunting, they perch on rocks or trees with their wings spread to dry.
Breeding is typically from March to June. They nest in colonies near water, building a stick platform in trees overhanging water.
