I love Anhingas, they are so interesting! They actually fly down into water and swim around after fish. Then they come back up to a tree to dry out!



Here's one drying its wings after a swim.



The anhingas go into their mating colors in January and February. Here's one with the glowing blue eyes that signal it's mating time!



Anhingas don't have the oil glands to waterproof their feathers like most birds do, since their swimming all the time would wash the oil off anyways. So they need to use the tree-drying method to get their feathers back into flying shape.

Anhingas are also special because of their snake-like necks. They can literally spear a fish on the end of their beaks.

The other swimming bird, the cormorant, is all black and has a hooked beak instead of a straight, pointy one.

Cormorant Information
Anhinga Nest and Chick Photos