Rickubis Bird Page #3a: Anhingas

Rickubis Bird Page #3a: Anhingas
This page was born (split off from 11/11/2008) page 6/24/2020. Rickubis designed it. (such as it is.) Last update: 01/09/2025
Images and contents on this page copyright ©2002-2025 Richard M. Dashnau
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That's me on a trail at Brazos Bend State Park (BBSP), sometime in 2004. One of my first experiences there involved this really odd black bird with a pointy beak. I was walking
one of the trails, and as I scanned the view, I saw (but didn't really note) this bird on a log in the water off to my right. I had just turned away when I heard a soft "ploop!", a quiet
splash. When I turned back, the bird was gone. I walked slowly along the trail, scanning the water for reptiles, or other movement. From time to time I'd catch a glimpse of
something which poked out of the water, and then submerged, but it happened so quickly-and always at the edge of my vision-that I thought it was perhaps an illusion. This
happened for some time as I walked. Finally, I caught the movement soon enough to look at it directly, and caught just a glimpse of black and yellow submerging.
'Was that...a bird!?' I thought. Apparently the danged thing had been going in my direction, sort of following me (which was why I kept seeing it out of the corner of my eye.)
I stopped an scanned my surroundings again. I looked from left to right, turning slowly. Then, I looked from right to left...and there, on a stick in the water, was that large black bird.
It hadn't been there just a second ago. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that bird had been fooling with me. Who knows? Maybe it was.
The bird was an Anhinga, and I've been fascinated by them since. Oldest entries start at the bottom of the page.

12/22/2024 The morning was a bit cool at Brazos Bend State park, but a few alligators started moving in Elm Lake around 9am.
I saw this Anhinga in 40Acre Lake in the afternoon. The last 3 dry summers (although 2024's wasn't quite as bad) and Hurricane Beryl really knocked down a lot of the trees
and bushes in the areas around the lakes. I've noticed more Anhingas standing on low growths to get out of the water for their thermoregulatory activities. Usually they prefer branches
much higher. This one was also calling and it took off to challenge another Anhinga that it had been calling to before I was ready with the camera.

As I often do when I get a chance for a closer photo of an Anhinga, I tried to get some detail of the fine grouping of backward-pointing bristles, or barbs at the top of the beak. They are
supposed to prevent prey from sliding easily off the beak. These two images are just cropped from the 4th image above. Sometimes these barbs seem to work a little too well. Examples
of Anhingas feeding are on my Anhinga page. Or, go straight to this video demonstrating the function of an Anhinga's beak, from 2022, and this 2011 video of an Anhinga hunting.

02/06/2022, 04/03/2022 and 07/03/2022. There's always a lot to see at BBSP. I always notice Anhingas, but I don't always stop to watch them. Earlier this year, I saw a few Anhingas
with prey, and then got another chance to capture detail of an Anhinga's face. Together, the images can demonstrate an interesting feature of an Anhinga's beak. I've put this all into a short video
presentation, that is linked here.

On 02/06/2022, This Anhinga came out from this dense plant growth to stand on a stump while it ate a fish it had caught. I was East of the middle of the Spillway Trail, just past the end of the
last dirt mound (which we've called Otter Island). I believe the fish was a White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis). The two images below are frames from the video clip.

On 04/03/2022, Anhinga were foraging in Elm Lake came out from this dense plant growth to stand on a stump while it ate a fish it had caught. The two images below are frames from the
video clip. I was on the West End of the lake, not too far from the end of the Spillway Trail. The fish looks like a Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). An Anhinga swimming with a fish
impaled on its beak, and then wrestling it off, tossing and eating it--is one of my favorite sights at BBSP. I've seen it many times, but seeing it close enough to get good clear photos is a
rare situation. The images below are also frames from video.

On 07/03/2022, Anhingas were foraging in Elm Lake, and I could get some photos. They aren't as clear as I'd like, but better than nothing. This time, I think the Anhinga has caught a Redear
Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) (fish I.Ds are from the TPWD website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/aquaticspecies/inland.phtml ) The images below are from photographs. They
show how far the Anhinga's beak has gone into the fish.

In the new video presentation, that is linked here., there is some demonstration of how an Anhinga has to work to get an impaled fish off of its beak. At normal viewing distances, I can only
tell that Anhingas have very sharp beaks. As shown here (and on the rest of this page) the sharp beak can apparently pass through a fish-penetrating scales and the fish. But getting the
beak back out of the fish takes some vigorous effort. Why? The images below, taken on the same day (07/03/2022) show a cooperative Anhinga and close views of its head. This time,
I got pictures of the open beak, and the array of barbs that point backward on both sides of the beak. A single barb can be useful at the end of a spear. It works to hold the fish on the spear
when it is pulled from the water. A single barb is still relatively easy to take out of a fish. But an array of barbs--especially on a two-tined spear; would be a lot more difficult. And that's what an
Anhinga has to work with. So an Anhinga has to twist its head and use "inertial tugs" to get the fish off its beak. I don't recall ever reading the term "inertial tugs", but it seems appropriate.
Push the head and impaled fish away from the body, then suddenly change direction and pull back--pulling the beak against the mass of the fish which is still moving forward.

01/30/2022. While I was near the mom gator and her den, an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) decided that a spot on the bank about 3 yards from us was a good place to get out of the water and bask.
During the time I was there, the Anhinga came up, basked a while, went back in--then came back out again. Judging by the condition of its wings (not fully-feathered) I think it may be growing back
its flight feathers after having shed them. These images show it flapping open its wings (and shedding excess water) before turning its back to the sun-the Anhinga's shadow shows where
the sun was.

01/16/2022. Another cold day at Brazos Bend State Park. Please note that there was movement around me most of the time, so the animals that I mention were not
the only ones about. I walked to the observation tower and the open waters there, hoping to encounter otters and/or eagles. At 8:30am I stopped by the gator mom's den, and she was
visible, but just the tip of her nose was exposed. It was about 39ï¿½F on the trail. Later, this Anhinga was warming up. This was a wonderful opportunity for me. For years, I've been trying to get detailed
photos of an Anhinga's beak. Anhingas spear their prey, which is usually fish (or exclusively fish as far a I know). I have read about how they have small "serrations" on their beak that help prevent
impaled prey from sliding off too easily. This is why an Anhinga sometimes have to wrestle an impaled meal off its beak. Not only was this Anhinga close enough for me to get a clear photo--but the
lighting was wonderful! The serrations (they look like "barbs" to me) were shown in relief. I was really happy to get these! All of this in a single day at BBSP. There is imagery showing Anhingas
hunting further down on this page.

Update 01/03/2022- On 01/01/2022; I was one of the guides during the First Day Hike at Brazos Bend State Park. The weather was unseasonably warm, to say the least (near
80ï¿½ F later in the day. The "hike" portion of the day was from 8:00am to 12:00 pm. I'm often on the trails doing "roving interpretation" anyway, so my part wasn't much different.
There were just more people hiking around 40 Acre lake than usual. Since the weather was so warm, it was very comfortable in the morning. A few alligators were moving around,
a pod of baby alligators was visible (I've been monitoring them for weeks, so didn't take any pictures for this hike). It was a lot of fun!

This Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) rested very close to the trail, just before noon. I realized I have few pictures of Anhingas from the front...so I captured these. There were many other
sights, but was spending more time interpreting for visitors than taking pictures this day. There were plenty of sights available for the First Day Hike of 2022.

On 11/28/2021; I arrived at BBSP. The day was cold, damp, and grey; but there was no breeze, so 40Acre Lake was smooth. These two pictures show the view to my East and the West.

I returned to 40Acre lake at 1:30. I passed an Anhinga (pictures) on my way back to the pod.

12/28/2020 I went to Brazos Bend State Park today. I thought that it might not be too busy, since it was Monday, and I wanted to be prepared for an upcoming hike there that I'd committed to.
I hadn't driven this far for months. I volunteer at BBSP as a ranger (mostly as an Interpretive Guide), so I interact with park visitors as needed. I always kept my mask on, and so did
most of the park visitors. We all stayed far apart, so I felt comfortable being there. Up until a few weeks ago, possible contamination of my workplace (by me) was also a factor which kept
me away from the park. However, since I'm no longer employed by that entity (or anyone else at this point); that's not an issue. I took some pictures and video...which I'll be sharing.
I'll start with this Anhinga at 40-Acre Lake. He was on a fallen tree on the trail South of the Observation Tower. He posed for the camera, and while I was enjoying the sight, he started
rubbing his head and neck area against the base of his tail. I've written about this behavior before, and I still haven't found anything that defines it.

Male Anhinga Male Anhinga pointing at his "preen gland" Anhinga treating head and neck area Anhinga--Nice Profile

Unlike what some sources say; Anhingas do have a "preen gland"--that is, a gland that secretes an oily substance that is used to treat feathers. Many birds use this secretion to treat their
feathers so that they shed water. This can help with bouyancy, insulation (wet feathers woouldn't be very warm), and a number of other issues. But Anhingas need their feathers to absorb
water. This allows Anhingas to stay underwater without much effort. So, Anhingas don't need to oil their feathers--at least most of them. Anhinga feathers are configured a bit differently than
other birds, so that they absorb water more efficiently. But, Anhingas do have a gland, and I've seen them use it by poking a bit with their beak, and then rolling and sliding their head and neck
over it with a sort of "honing" motion., as if they were sharpening the beak, face, and neck. I've guessed that if they make this area hydrophobic it might lessen drag forces when the anhinga stabs
at prey. Or, it might help insulate that area to lessen heat loss. Or both. I caught a very short video of this anhinga oiling its neck. The images below are frames from this video (mp4).

Start behind the gland Rotate the head and neck onto the gland Twist the other way move forward & back Rub, and then pull back

December 29, 2013-- (photos from 2013 and new notes added to this page 1/29/2021) This started out with an Anhinga in the best position ever. It had speared a large fish (possibly
a Blugill Sunfish) and was swimming with the fish held high above the water. It moved onto a branch to handle the fish, and I was able to get pretty close to it and shoot a few photos and
video clips. Most of the images below are frames from the video clip(mp4). I wasn't able to see the Anhinga eat the fish, though.

From material I've read recently (2021), here's a brief description of the parts of a birds beak:
Like all vertebrates, birds have a skull, with an upper and lower mandible. But unlike most vertebrates, birds don't have teeth. Instead, they have their mandibles covered by hard
material by structures called "rhamphotheca" (also called a "beak" or a "bill"). The sharp edges of the beak or bill are called the "tomia". This is where various adaptations turn
a beak into a specialized tool in many cases. It's part of the reason why bird beaks come in so many shapes and sizes. (from the paper "From snout to beak: the loss of teeth in birds"
by Antoine Louchart and Laurent Viriot) Anhingas have these serrations in their tomia to keep fish from sliding off the points of the beak.

September 16, 2012-- (photos from 2012 and new notes added to this page 1/25/2021) In the notes for Sept. 9 below I mentioned that I hadn't gotten any pictures of the "serrations"
on an Anhinga's beak. I believe I actually have, though. I got some good closeups of this Anhinga as it hunted near me. Look closely at the few inches near the point of the beak, and
the raggedy edges are visible. From material I've read recently, here's a brief description of the parts of a birds beak.

September 09, 2012-- As the summer ends most of the Anhingas prepare to go South for the winter. I said "most" of them. A few usually remain at Brazos Bend State park, but
I don't often see them fishing. Today, there were still a few hunting, and I watched one as it worked. I was lucky, because it came close to me. I got really lucky and had the
camera pointing and focused at the right spot when I shot the burst of images shown below. These are cropped from a larger images. The Rickubiscam image is of the same Anhinga
but about 30 minutes later.

I have read that Anhingas have serrations on the biting edges of their beaks to help secure fish that they have captured. Although I've tried, I haven't been able to photograph
them. This roughness may help secure the fish, but it can sure make it difficult to UN-spear the fish so that it can be eaten. To do this, the Anhinga will thrust its head forward,
then jerk it back. This will allow the beak to pull out of the fish. But, the Anhinga has to be careful not to pull the beak out too quickly or it could lose the fish. So, sometimes there's
an interesting combination of sharp, brute force and delicacy as the Anhinga works the fish off its beak. In this example, it worked smoothly, and the fish "paused" in mid-air as the
Anhinga positioned its beak under it (5th image); after a single try.

The image below is a frame grab from a video clip(mp4) that I edited together from two other clips of catches by the same Anhinga. I shot these at normal frame rate (instead of the usual
(high speed) to illustrate how fast the Anhinga is moving during this process. I am a little sorry for missing the opportunity of catching a long struggle at high-speed; but some of it was out
of focus anyway. In the first clip, the Ahinga surfaced, and immediately lost its fish. It quickly dove, but that fish was gone. In the second clip, the Anhinga struggled a bit to get the fish off its beak.
When it finally did, it almost dropped it, but was able to save the fish after some juggling. Watch both clips carefully, because everything is over quickly.
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ONE MISS AND ONE CATCH VIDEO CLIP (mp4) compare with my video clip here (mp4)

August 26, 2012-- This Anhinga surfaced with a very large sunfish. This was another demonstration showing how an Anhinga deals with large prey. Large prey or small, it has to be
freed from that sharp upper and lower mandibles. The images below are frames from this video clip(mp4) that shows shows how the process doesn't always succeed.
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August 12, 2012-- Two weeks ago I saw an Anhinga that had molted, and had lost its flight feathers. Last week I saw the Anhinga as the new feathers were growing back, showing only
pin feathers. Pictures are shown lower on this page. Today, I was found the Anhinga again at 40 Acre lake. When I first saw it, it was standing on a log. (see anhinga_081212_01),
I was a bit disappointed that it was out so far because I wanted to show better detail of the flight feathers growning out (anhinga_081212_02), but I saw it dive into the water,
and thought it might be swimming towards another log near the wooden footbridge. I watched an Anhinga jump up onto that log. It opened its wings...and it had all of its
feathers! It was a different bird! Suddenly it flew up onto the rail of the footbridge.
Another Anhinga surfaced, and walked up on the bank. That was the molted Anhinga. It waddled up the bank (anhinga_081212_03), paused, and looked up. It was watching the
Anhinga on the rail. It made a short "squat", as if it was going to launch into the air at the higher Anhinga. There's video here(mp4) that shows what's described below.
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anhinga_081212_01 anhinga_081212_02 anhinga_081212_03 anhinga_081212_04

Then, it seemed to realize it couldn't fly, and walked/hopped onto the bridge. From there, it watched the Anhinga on the rail (anhinga_081212_04, anhinga_081212_05, anhinga_081212_06).
It prepared to take off again (anhinga_081212_07) but it still couldn't fly. So it jumped onto the bottom rail, and apparently used its neck to grab the rail as it climbed on. (anhinga_081212_08)
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anhinga_081212_05 anhinga_081212_06 anhinga_081212_07 anhinga_081212_08

Once it got up on the rail and caught its balance (anhinga_081212_09, anhinga_081212_10). It shook out its tail, and that was the last straw for the other Anhinga. It flew away. The
molted Anhinga hopped off the bridge, walked down to the lake, and hopped in. It rested on the log, then dove in again. I went around the trails for a while.

anhinga_081212_09 anhinga_081212_10 anhinga_081212_11 anhinga_081212_12

About 4 hours later, I was in the area again, hoping to catch that Anhinga a bit closer. But, it didn't surface any closer. I saw it out on one of the islands. Another Anhinga landed on a log and
spread its wings (anhinga_081212_11). It flew off, and another Anhinga surfaced near the same log. That one must have chased off the other. When it opened its wings, I saw that it was
the "molted" Ahinga again. It had left the island. He seemed to be pretty pushy for a bird that couldn't fly yet. I took a few more pictures, and cropped them to show how the feathers
are pushing out of the feather shafts. (anhinga_081212_013 and anhinga_081212_02 ). If this is the same Anhinga I saw last week, those feathers are growing quickly. I edited video clips
referenced in the images above together into a video that can be seen here. (mp4). I was impressed by the amount of activity performed by the temporarily-flightless Anhinga. I thought it
was interesting to observe that the Anhinga seemed about to take off, then "remembered" that it couldn't fly. It didn't waste any effort trying to fly.
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anhinga_081212_13

August 5 (and July 29) 2012-- I was walking around 40 Acre lake with some park visitors. I'd described some of the animals that they might see as they walked around the
lake. I had described the Anhinga, one of my favorite park inhabitants; and of course mentioned the diving/hunting behavior, and the wing/spreading heating behavior.
I described how beautiful the wings can be, as they are held out in the sun. The picture below (April Anhinga), taken on April 22, 2012 shows what I described.
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APRIL ANHINGA

A little later, we saw an Anhinga soon after it had climbed onto a log. (Out of The Water, below) I told them to watch for the spread wings. The Anhinga spread its wings--
--and we saw these bare arms sticking out, looking very much like something that one might see in a chicken-wing restaurant--although these wings did have some feathers on them.
(Boy are My Arms Tired, below)
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OUT OF THE WATER ...AND BOY, ARE MY ARMS TIRED FROM THE WEEK BEFORE

It figures that when I actually build up the magnificence of the Anhinga to an audience, I get a dud. Actually, I'd seen that Anhinga, or one in a similar state, the week before (see The Week Before,
above). I'd gotten a bit alarmed, because the Anhinga obviously can't fly. It also looked like the feathers had been clipped off, leaving just the stumps. However, the Anhinga seemed unperturbed
by its condition. So, I asked around, and both David and Bill suggested that the Anhinga had molted. Bill sent me this link ( http://slatermuseum.blogspot.com/2010/09/different-molt-strategies.html )
which made things clearer for me. I was also able to find more information about bird molting but relatively little specifically about Anhingas molting. The "stumps" that I had seen on the wings are
"pin feathers" and should soon develop into full-flight feathers. One thing about pin feathers is that they are being supplied by blood, and if a pin feather is broken, the bird could bleed from it. The
picture below is a closer view of the Anhinga's bare wing. (Returning Feathers?, below) If I was looking at the same Anhinga a week before, then it appears that those quill (?) have grown a lot since then.
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RETURNING FEATHERS?
Barring the physical trauma, if a bird loses its wings, then of course it can't fly. Not being able to fly can leave the bird at risk of being eaten--since flying allows it to escape. Birds have to renew their
feathers; which is why they molt. Feathers wear over time. To avoid being handicapped by losing the ability to fly, many birds molt a few flight feathers at a time; which is called "sequential" molting.
Some birds, however, are not as handicapped by not being able to fly, because they can use alternate means to escape from predators, and they can still find food, even if they can't fly. The Anhinga
is one of these latter type, since they care very good swimmers. They are also very stealthy swimmers--as I have found while trying to track them as they hunt. Anhingas can surface and submerge
silently and slowly, without leaving a ripple. So, birds like Anhingas can shed all the feathers at once, in a "simultaneous" wing molt.
If I can, I'll try to take more pictures to see if I can show the feathers coming back.

April 22, 2012--A little later today, I was able to watch a Anhinga for a while (since it was under the water often). I finally (after some years of trying) caught an
Anhinga surfacing with a fish in a video clip. This is extremely difficult, since I can't be sure when, or where, the Anhinga will surface--and
it doesn't always have prey when it surfaces. The images below are from this brief clip (mp4).

After the quick meal, the Anhinga submerged again, and I was elated to be able to see it under the water. It swam away from me, and went out of focus.

May 15, 2011--(new update 8/17/2016, old story) I watched an Anhinga foraging close to the shore in 40 Acre lake. When it tried to perch so it could open its wings and get warm, it
was harrassed by another Anhinga. I put together an 17 minute film from the clips I shot of the Anhinga. I shot at high speed in case I could catch the Anhinga capturing prey. I didn't.
Click the link to see the edited VIDEO CLIP (mp4) 17 min.

May 15, 2011--(new update, old story) Anhingas lose body heat to the water as they swim under it. This is mostly because their feathers absorb water, all the way to their skin. Over
time, the Anhinga's metabolism begins to speed up because the body is cooling. Eventually, the Anhinga has to get out of the water, and spread its wings (usually with its back towards
the sun) and absorb heat. Sometimes an Anhinga will surface and fly to a perch. Sometimes an Anhinga will surface, and hop onto a perch near the surface of the water. And
sometimes...an Anhinga will laboriously climb a tree to get to a good perch. I've watched Anhingas do this many times. Today, I shot video at 210 frames per second of one climbing
the same tree at different times. At least, I think it was the same one on the same tree. The images below are frame grabs from the edited VIDEO CLIP (mp4) that I filmed.

A QUICK BRACE WITH HEAD AND NECK

The Anhinga surfaced near the base of the tree, and then jumped out of the water (That's some trick. You try jumping out of water where your feet don't reach the bottom) Then it moved up the tree
using a combination of running, toe-gripping (with webbed feet), wing-flapping, and using its neck and head in a prehensile fashion. It's hard to see the "neck grabbing" at normal film speed, but
when it is slowed down, that's what seems to be happening. It was a surprise to me to see the Anhinga use its neck that way.

A FULL GRAB WITH HEAD AND NECK BRACE WITH WING AND BACK OF THE NECK

The Anhinga also flapped its wings as it moved up the tree, but when viewed slowed-down, the wings seem to be moving backwards compared to when the Anhinga is flying, or at least differently.
The wing beats seem similar to a bird "braking" as it comes down for a landing. So it seems that the Ahinga is not flying up the tree and just pushing with its feet (sort of like the way American Coots
and Pied-Billed Grebes "run" across the water.) but doing something else with its wings as it climbs. The Anhinga even rested a few times on its way up. But, it finally made it, and once up there, it
flapped its wings to shake the water out, and opened them to the sun.
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FINALLY MADE IT TO THE TOP!
ANHINGA CLIMBING VIDEO CLIP (mp4)

March 03, 2011 (some material updated 1/4/2021) I got lucky as an Anhinga was diving and fishing fairly close to me. The Anhinga has serrations on its beak (according to what I've
read) that help it to hold on to the fish that it catches. This is handy while the fish is held between the jaws--but maybe not so handy when the jaws have pierced a fish. Then, the Anhinga has to
work the fish off of one or both points of its beak. It does this by a combination of twisting (spinning) the beak back and forth and thrusting the beak forward and jerking it back. This is done
with a combination of physical strength and delicacy so that when the fish does come off the beak, it doesn't go flying off into the water. Once the fish is held inside the beak, it gets tossed into
the air, and the Anhinga catches it on the way down. It can be a struggle. When seen in real time it's hard to discern what is going on. When viewed slowed down, it becomes clearer. I shot the
clips today at 210 frames per second. The images below are frame grabs from the video clips. There are two clips of the same Anhinga, but it has surfaced with a different fish in each clip
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Video clip 1 (mp4) Video clip 2 (mp4)

PUSH AND TUG IT DIDN'T COME OFF TWIST SIDE-TO-SIDE TO LOOSEN I THINK IT'S LOOSE

IT'S FREE! TOSS IT UP! CATCH IT HEADFIRST IN IT GOES DOWN IT GOES

January 09, 2011 It was pretty cold this weekend. While walking around the trails in my heavy clothes, I was surprised to see a few Anhingas diving into and leaving the cold water. In the afternoon,
I was surprised to see the Anhinga in the RICKUBISCAM picture. It was pretty close, and I was able to shoot some video as it jumped into the water. I knew what to expect, but to someone who has
never seen an Anhinga jump into the water, it's pretty surprising. The pictures below are frame grabs from one of the video clips I shot. Watch the video by clicking this link Ahinga Enters the Water (mp4)

03/08/2009-- The bird called an Anhinga is one of my favorite animals. Anhingas' feathers have developed a bit differently than other birds' feathers to allow water to wick into them. Water will
saturate the feathers right to the bird's skin. This helps the bird to become neutrally buoyant. A neutrally-buoyant object will neither sink nor float in water--but will remain at a particular depth. This
allows the Anhinga to spend most of its energy while submerged swimming slowly and stalking fish. Then, it spears them with its beak, comes to the surface, shakes the fish off its beak, then
catches and swallows the fish.
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Today I got one brief look at an Ahinga as it surfaced with a fish on its beak. I was able to shoot some slow-motion video, and some photos. The 030809 RICKUBISCAM is a cropped photo
of the Anhinga tossing a freshly-caught fish. I've edited together a video using the two clips (the Anhinga is not very close and some photos shot with the same camera. Since the image
resolution on the photos is so high, I can crop them (as in the RICKUBISCAM shot) to show detail. So, I added some cropped photos to the clip. You can see it by clicking on this link (mp4).
Images from further cropping of the orginal photos can be seen below. The last image below (FROM VIDEO CLIP) is taken from a frame of one of the video clips.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FROM VIDEO CLIP mp4
8/31/2008-- A bit more Anhinga behavior. This Anhinga was sunning, and then it poked the oil gland (near the base of the tail) with its beak, then rubbed its neck and head onto the
oil gland in a motion almost like honing a knife. The line of images below are from a video clip showing this. Links to the clip are below the pictures.

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OIL THE BOTTOM OIL THE RIGHT SIDE OIL THE BOTTOM

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OIL THE RIGHT SIDE OIL THE BOTTOM OIL THE RIGHT SIDE
Anhinga Oils its Head and Neck and Dives (mp4). Anhinga Oils its Head and Neck slo mo(mp4).
Soon after, the Anhinga dove off the branch and into the water. All of this can be seen by clicking the links above. I watched the Anhinga, and tried to catch the moment that it left the water.
I missed it by a second. The last video clip shows the Anhinga shaking its wings free, and then it oils its head and neck, and the preens feathers on various parts of its body. The image
below (OUT OF THE WATER) is from this short video clip--which has a link below the picture.
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DIVING OFF THE BRANCH JUST OUT OF THE WATER
Anhinga Opens Wings, Oils Head and Neck and Preens (mp4).

8/24/2008-- I've been trying to see more Anhinga behavior since my last "discovery" about their heating being related to the wing-spreading posture. Today, I saw an Anhinga and a
Neotropic Cormorant right next to each other. Now I can show a few comparisons between these two diving birds. Today's RICKUBISCAM shows a single frame from a video clip showing
a Cormorant swimming. The clip will have a link further down. I watched the Anhinga and the Cormorant for a while. During that time, one or the other would occasionally enter the water to fish.
After a time, the Anhinga would pop out of the water. It would suddenly leap out of the water appear on one of the tree trunks. The Cormorant would appear from a distance away, and leap out
of the water and fly right back to the tree shown in the images below. The photos below (Anhinga and Cormorant, Profile, Anhinga) are all frames from this short video clip. The clip shows
each in closer shot in the trees, then pulls back to show them at the same time. The video shows the differences between the two birds, especially the shape of the beak. From what I've recently
learned, the fact that the Anhinga has spread its wings while the Cormorant has NOT isn't surprising. During the entire time I saw both birds (at least an hour), the Cormorant did not make the
"wing spread" posture at all. The Anhinga must use its wings as solar collectors to heat its body; while the Cormorant may occasionally spread its wings to hasten drying.
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ANHINGA AND CORMORANT THE CORMORANT PROFILE THE ANHINGA
Anhinga and Cormorant video (wmv 8.5mb).

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THE CORMORANT SWIMS THE CORMORANT LOOKS DOWN
Cormorant swims video (wmv 5.0mb).

I was able to capture a some short video footage of the Cormorant swimming. The RICKUBISCAM shows one frame from this video. Two other frames are above (Cormorant swims; Cormorant
Looks Down). The images and video clearly show how high the Cormorant's back is above the water. The Cormorant is more buoyant because of a layer of air that it keeps near its body. This
layer also acts as insulation against the heat-dissipation effects of being sumberged in water. Finally, an Anhinga took off from the tree and flew away from me, then circled back and landed in
the water. I was able to catch part of this flight on video. The image below is a frame from the video clip. The video clip shows it entering the water. The Anhinga immediately sinks--but a very
small part is briefly visible for a few seconds. I suspect this is because there was still some air trapped in voids among the feathers. Whatever the reason, once the Anhinga dives, it remains
totally submerged except for its head and neck. In the video, one can see why the Anhinga is sometimes called a "snakebird".

THE ANHINGA LANDING
Anhinga lands video (wmv 5.0mb).

7/27/2008--And I've mentioned Anhingas before. They are quite different than most birds found in the water. They swim totally submerged, and they spear fish with their sharp beaks. Then the Anhinga
will surface with the fish speared, extending only the head and neck. The Anhinga will have to dislodge the fish, usually be shaking and jerking its head, until it's loosened. Then the Anhinga tosses it up,
catches it, and swallows it. Anhingas are currently classified in the same order as Pelicans. The classification goes like this:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Anhingidae
The Anhingas have been hunting the lakes at Brazos Bend State Park much more frequently than they had been in previous years. I was able to take some time and watch one this Sunday. Since
the bird swims totally submerged, it's not easy to guess where it might surface. I set up my video camera, and just waited. Whenever I saw movement, I'd turn on the camera and swing it towards
what I saw. I got lucky a few times, and thought visitors might like to see an Anhinga at work. Pictures here are frame captures from my video. Today's RICKUBISCAM is from a photo I shot of the
same bird. A few things happened before the Anhinga got to the position in that photo.

CLIP ONE SUBMERGE                                  CLIP THREE SUBMERGE                                 WEEDS! D'OH!                                     SPEARED, AND TOSSED
submerge 1 vid(wmv 428kb).          submerge 3 vid(wmv 342kb).      weeds video (wmv 944kb).     eating fish video (wmv 2.7mb).
                                                                                                                                                                               eating fish slowmo video (wmv 4.6mb).
The Anhinga's head popped up a few times. The funny thing is, the head is often visible just enough to catch my attention from the corner of my eye. However, when I turn towards the movement,
the bird has submerged, and then I wonder if I saw anything at all! See image above (CLIP ONE SUBMERGE) and the clip. Watch closely, because the Anhinga goes under quickly! Here's
another video clip, submerge video 2 (wmv 881kb). . Watch over to the right, and the dark object poking from the water becomes a bird's head! And then it's gone. See how easy it would be
to miss? The next image above (CLIP THREE SUBMERGE) shows another really quick view of the Anhinga's head. For these clips, stop them when they are playing, and restart them again.
The head submerges really quickly and the lag while the video is loading will hide it. Now, while the Anhinga is swimming underwater like a submarine, it swims slowly, stalking--and then uses
its beak to spear fish. Then the bird surfaces--at least its head and neck do. The next image above (WEEDS! D'OH!) and the video clip shows the Anhinga with a speared fish...but it's entangled
in the weeds. I believe I saw at least one successful spearing and toss before I was able to capture one on video. The last picture above (SPEARED AND TOSSED) with video shows a successful
surface and toss. The link below also shows the same toss in slow-motion. The Anhinga swam back towards me, so I finally had the sun off to my side. It surfaced and submerged in clearer
water-- submerge 4 vid(wmv 342kb).

I thought that the Anhinga might be leaving the water, but I picked the wrong perching object to film, so I missed it when it popped out. However, the first four images below show the Anhinga
as it changes from a sleek, glistening animal that can move through water with no disturbance to a beautiful winged flying creature. The images just don't show this amazing transformation
correctly. Watch the video clip-- anhinga coverts vid(mp4) I believe the brown (in the sun it looks like copper to me) colors on the back of the wings show that this is an immature bird.
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BEAUTIFUL UNDERWATER BIRD I CAN'T FLY LIKE THIS! BEGIN TRANSFORMATION

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WINGS ARE RESTORED TURN THE BACK TO THE SUN ALMOST DRY NOW
Common wisdom seems to be that Anhingas have no oil in their feathers and that this means that the feathers don't repel water. Therefore, the feathers absorb water. After some comments
emailed to me indicating that Anhingas do have an oil gland (thanks, Chuck), I investigated a bit more. None of my books mention much, and most spots on the internet repeat the same "no oil"
story. However, I finally found two links that make some very interesting statements. ( audubon.org ; science mcmaster)
Oil, or the lack of oil, has less to do with the feathers absorbant quality than the physical structure of the feathers. The feathers have developed so that they absorb water. This makes it easier
for the Anhinga to remain submerged, but it also means that the Anhinga can lose heat to the water. The Anhinga's metabolic rate is slower than that of other birds. That is why the Anhinga stands
there with its wings open; it can absorb heat from the sun if it needs to. A secondary function of the spread wings may be to signal successful feeding. This would allow other Anhingas to recognise
good hunting grounds. According to one study (sited in the links I mentioned above), drying the wings isn't necessary for flight since the bird would only gain 1% to 3% of its body weight when saturated.
So...there's a lot more going on here than just a bird spreading its wings to dry them. The last picture above (ALMOST DRY NOW) is also from this video clip-- anhinga coverts vid(mp4) show the
Anhinga after a little time has passed. The wings have become full and very attractive. While watching the video clips, did you notice how supple the Anhinga's neck was? A common name for the Anhinga is
"Snake Bird". It's surprising how complex some apparently simple activities really are.

UPDATE 08/05/2008--I have found two more useful links. One is a physiological comparison between our Anhinga (Anhinga Anhinga) and the Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrococrax auritus)
--Adaptations For Locomotion and Feeding in the Anhinga and the Double-Crested Cormorant, by Oscar T. Owre. Cormorants are birds that look very similar to Anhingas, and which share similar behaviors.
The paper can be found here. The other is a paper that addresses the risks of generalizing similar behaviors between two species--AMER. ZOOL., 28:845-851 (1988)--Energetics and Spread-winged
Behavior in Anhingas and Double-crested Cormorants: The Risks of Generalization by WlLLARD W. HENNEMANN III. That paper can be found for purchase here.
I've paraphrased from notes from the second paper below.
The wettable feathers of Anhingas and the Double-Crested Cormorant is not due to a lacking or malfunctioning preen gland, but is an adaptation for an underwater method of hunting. The
structure of the feathers is such that the feathers don't repel water, but allow water to wick into them. The Anhinga feathers allow water to penetrate to the skin; while the only the outer parts
of the Cormorant feathers get saturated. Cormorants maintain air insulation near the skin. This also makes Cormorants more bouyant than Anhingas. This saturation allows Anhingas to become
neutrally bouyant. This allows the Anhinga to remain underwater without having to expend energy to keep from floating or sinking. This allows them to stalk prey underwater instead of actively
chasing prey as Cormorants apparently do (since Cormorants have to continually swim against the tendency to float). (Page 846)

Anhingas use spread-wing behavior to increase the surface area available to absorb solar energy for regulation of its metabolism. Anhingas have been observed doing this more often when they
are dry than when wet; and usually stand with their back to the sun, maintaining a posture that keeps the surface of the back 90 degrees relative to the path of direct sunlight. Anhingas spread
their wings to enhance the drying of their feathers to shorten the amount of time that they lose body heat to evaporation and reduce the time necessary to restore the air insulation in the feathers;
and to support metabolism when it is dry. (Page 850)

While sunning themselves, the metabolic rate of the Ahinga eventually slows--and so does the rate of oxygen consumption. (Page 847) As much as 38% compared to their metabolic rates without
the sunning. (Page 848)

When Cormorants used spread-wing behavior, it was only after they had been dunked in water, and sometimes even without any simulated radiation. Then they'd spread their wings for very short
periods, and there was no effect on their metabolic rate. The body temperature did rise, however. It seems that Double Breasted Cormorants store this heat without effecting their metabolism. (page 848.)

Cormorants might use spread-wing behavior only for drying, to quickly restore their full insulation. Overall, the spread wing behavior has little effect on the energy expended by Cormorants. Page 849

I haven't read this anywhere yet, but it seems that this "stockpiled" heat, which is further preserved by the insulation of air near the Cormorant, would allow the Cormorant to maintain a constant
metabolic rate throughout all activities, whether submerged or not. See? Sunbathing and diving is more complicated than I thought.

Update 8/15/2008-- A short summary of how the Anhinga's plumage becomes wet (as described above), and the use of the wing-spreading behavior for thermoregulation can also be found in
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior (National Audubon Society; 1st Edition, printed 2002; page 166.) (Thanks to Sharon for mentioning this.)

January 16, 2005 It was a little cool today at the park. As I entered the Elm Lake trail, I saw an Anhinga in one of the large puddles (or small ponds). Although I've read that Anhingas might be seen
year 'round at the park, I don't see them very often over the winter. When I do see them, I rarely get close enough to get a good view. The image below (WET, WILD, AND COOL) shows that the one
I found didn't seem shy at all. I think these are fine looking birds, and enjoy seeing them. The scientific name for this bird is fairly easy to remember--it's Anhinga Anhinga. The Anhinga feeds by
swimming with its body submerged, and using its pointed beak (see ANHINGA FACE, below), to spear fish. It doesn't swim very fast, and therefore is said to hunt "slower-moving" prey.
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WET, WILD, AND COOL ANHINGA FACE

While it is swimming, the Anhinga will sometimes raise its head above water, like a sinuous periscope. The head is very flexible, and seems to bend in any direction. One of the nicknames for the
Anhinga is "snake bird" and if you've ever seen an Anhinga's head poke out from among some aquatic vegetation, you'd know why. I took a few pictures of this bird, and went further on. I returned
about 30 minutes later, and saw the Anhinga hunting. This is something else I usually don't get to see closely, and I was able to take a few pictures. It swam by a number of times, circling around
the puddle.(see NESSIE COMES TO VISIT,below)-

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NESSIE COMES TO VISIT LEAVING THE WATER MAN, I'M SOAKED!

Anhingas absorb water into their feathers, which helps them remain submerged. Unfortunately, this has another effect. The water will cause the bird to lose heat, since there is no insulation from
the soaked feathers. So, from time to time, the Anhinga has to come out of the water and warm up. This Anhinga went right back to the log I'd originally seen it on (while swimming under the water!)
and climbed out (see LEAVING THE WATER, above). It paused briefly (see MAN, I'M SOAKED, above). The air was a bit cool, and I felt sorry for the Anhinga as I felt the breeze on me and saw its
soaked body and wings. Then it slowly and majestically opened its wings to catch the sun and warm itself. (see the images below). While I can understand that it can increase surface area
(solar absorption area) by opening its wings, I think it's odd that a large part of the wing surface is white, which is reflective. Wouldn't energy absorption be more efficient if the wings were entirely black?
I was very happy I got to see this.
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DANG, IT'S COLD! HEAVY WINGS WHAT A SIGHT! FROM BEHIND

June 02, 2003 The second time I ever went to Brazos Bend State Park, I was walking near Elm Lake when I glimpsed something dark splash into the water from a log. I couldn't see what it was, and
continued walking. As I moved down the trail, from time to time I'd catch a view of something out of the corner of my eye. This "something" would surface, and appeared almost reptilian...like a snake
or a longnecked turtle. However, every time I'd focus both eyes (or a camera) on it, it would disappear before I could get a clear view. This..."thing" seemed to be following me.
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DRYING ITS WINGS

It took a year, during which I began working at the park, to find out that what I'd seen was an Anhinga; sometimes known as a "snake bird" because of its habit of sinuously twisting its neck around. This bird
hunts fish underwater, spearing them with it's needle beak (see CLOSEUP, below). Occasionally, the Anhinga's head will emerge from the water like a periscope; and conjures a mental image of the Loch
Ness Monster (well, to *me*). Once, some park visitors were watching what they thought was a snake from one of the fishing piers. When I saw what they were looking at, and identified it as an Anhinga--a
BIRD--they didn't believe me at first. From time to time, the bird will be seen perched above the water, with its wings spread as shown (see DRYING ITS WINGS, above; also FROM THE SIDE, below). This
is to dry its feathers, which have no oils in them. All of these habits are similar to a similar bird called a Cormorant. The Anhinga has a beak like a needle, the Cormorant has a broader beak with a slight
hook at the end. Also, the Anhinga has a very distinctive triangular tail visible while in flight.

AGAIN FROM THE SIDE.                 CLOSE UP

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