Australasian Darter

Overview

The Australasian darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) is a slim bird in the darter family, Anhingidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.

Identification

• Measures 86–94 cm (34–37 in) in length and weighs around 2.6 kg.
• Features a snakelike slender neck.
• The male has black plumage with a white streak down the side of its head and neck.
• The female has white underparts.

Habitat

Typical habitat includes freshwater or brackish wetlands more than 0.5 m deep with fallen trees or logs and vegetated banks. The species is found in the lowlands of New Guinea, New Britain, the Moluccas, and the Lesser Sunda Islands, as well as across Australia, excluding the Great Sandy or Great Victoria Deserts and the Nullarbor Plain.

Diet

Forages in water, often with only its head and neck exposed, and can swim underwater by allowing its feathers to soak up water to reduce buoyancy. It eats a wide variety of fish, as well as invertebrates such as freshwater shrimp, worms, cephalopods, and various insects including water beetles and giant water bugs.

Did you know?

Its feathers soak up water in the spaces between them, allowing the bird to reduce its natural buoyancy and swim underwater.