GraffeoArt ::: Anhinga

Known as the "Snake Bird", this is a unique example of nature's adaptations to environment. The bird can fly, but when it hunts, it swims under water! It lacks oil glands to waterproof its feathers, so after it leaves the water, it must spread its wings and allow sun and wind to dry them before it can fly. When it swims, its head sticks out of the water and looks very much like a snake. I caught this male just as its wings were dry and about to fly off to search for another under water meal. I spotted this male in its full breeding plumage one day in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge an hours drive from my home in Florida.