Anhingas do look a lot like shags/cormorants (which are two names for the
same bird). Anhingas are also called water turkeys 'down South where I
grew up.
IMHO, You can see them the best in Everglades National park at the nature
trail. There you can get about 10 feet and they'll just sit. I don't
think there's a better place to get bird close ups in the wild.
Skip
At 7/16/99 06:37 AM -0400, you wrote:
>Giles wrote:
>
>Anyone else from Oz think these 'anhingas' look an awful lot like shags
>or
>cormorants?
>
>--------------------------------------------------
>
>Anhingas and cormorants are closely related. Both are of the order
>Pelecaniformes (which includes pelicans). Cormorants are of the family
>Phalacrocoracidae and anhingas of the family Anhingidae (also known as
>darters).
>
>The American anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) is found along the US Atlantic
>coast states from South Carolina through Florida and then along the gulf
>coast to Texas.
>
>Anhingas have VERY long necks and VERY, VERY sharp, straight beaks.
>Unlike cormorants, anhingas hunt by using their beaks to impale fish.
>They then return to the surface, snap their heads to throw the fish off
>the beak and into the air and then catch it for swallowing. It makes
>for a very interesting show.
>
>Chuck Norcutt
>Woburn, Massachusetts (where there are no anhingas :( )
>
>< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
>< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
>< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
>
-----------------------------------------------
Skip Williams - skipwilliams@xxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|