African Darter

Diet: Carnivore

Average life span in the wild: up to 16 years

Size: Body: 31.8 to 38.1 inch (81-97cm) Wingspan: 45.2 to 50.3 inch (115-128 cm)

Weight: Close to 1400 g

The African darter is also known as “Snakebird” because of its unique swimming style. The African Darter is typically found in tropical wetlands, and they spend a lot of time sitting beside bodies of water, particularly in areas where mangroves are prominent. Unlike many birds, the feathers of the African Darter are not waterproof, and the bird must dry its feathers before taking flight. For the most part, these birds lead a sedentary lifestyle. African Darters typically live in groups of ten to fifty birds at a time, sometimes with colonies reaching one hundred birds in size.

The African darter is a member of the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to American (Anhinga anhinga),Oriental (Anhinga melanogaster), and Australasian (Anhinga novaehollandiae) darters. The male is mainly glossy black with white streaking, but females and immature birds are browner. The African darter differs in appearance from the American darter most recognisably by its thin white lateral neck stripe against a rufous background colour. The pointed bill should prevent confusion with cormorants.It is an 80 cm long cormorant-like fish-eating species with a very long neck, like other anhingas.

The African darter is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of water occur; overall the species remains widespread and common. One subspecies, the Levant darter (Anhinga rufa chantrei), occurred at Lake Amik (Amik Gölü) in south-central Turkey, in Hula valley lake and marshes in northern Israel and in the Mesopotamian Marshes of the lower Euphrat andTigris rivers in southern Iraq. The Turkish population disappeared during the 1930s and the Israeli population during Hula drainage in the 1950s.

This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 3–6 eggs. It often nests with herons, egrets and cormorants. It often swims with only the neck above water, hence the common name snakebird. This, too, is a habit shared with the other anhingas.

Unlike many other waterbirds the feathers of the African darter do not contain any oil and are therefore not waterproof. Because of this, the bird is less positively buoyant and its diving capabilities are enhanced. After diving for fish, the feathers can become waterlogged. In order to be able to fly and maintain heat insulation, it needs to dry its feathers. Thus the African darter is often seen sitting along the waterside spreading its wings and drying its feathers in the wind and the sun along with cormorants which may share its habitat.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFJefRtNo5M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_darter

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