Anhinga Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesAnhinga
Adult male
Large waterbird with a long tail, a long S-shaped neck, and a daggerlike bill. Adult males are black with silvery to white streaks on the back and wings.
© Peter Kaestner / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, March 06, 2017Female/immature
Females/immatures have pale head, neck, and breast and a dark belly. Note long S-shaped neck and daggerlike bill.
© Andrew Simon / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, November 13, 2019Immature
Nests in trees often overhanging water where it builds a bulky platform of sticks. This video has no audio.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryGeorgia, September 28, 2012Female/immature
Large waterbird with large, broad wings. Flies with neck outstretched. Sometimes soars high in the sky riding thermals.
© Mark Greene / Macaulay LibraryTennessee, June 26, 2020Female/immature
Holds wings out to dry after being in the water.
© Holger Teichmann / Macaulay LibraryMato Grosso, August 17, 2016Female/immature
Swims low in the water often with its body partly or mostly submerged with only its neck or bill visible.
© Davey Walters / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, January 20, 2016Adult male and juvenile
Nests in loose groups. Usually nests in a tree near water.
© Dan Vickers / Macaulay LibrarySouth Carolina, June 22, 2017Female/immature
Found in shallow, slow-moving, sheltered waters and uses nearby perches and banks for drying and sunning.
© Sara Griffith / Macaulay LibraryPanamá, September 17, 2016Similar SpeciesNeotropic Cormorant
Breeding adult
Neotropic Cormorants have a shorter neck and tail than Anhingas and they do not have silvery wing patches like Anhingas. They also do not swim with their body under the water like Anhingas.
© Darren Clark / Macaulay LibraryLouisiana, March 16, 2015Similar SpeciesDouble-crested Cormorant
Breeding adult
Double-crested Cormorants have a shorter neck and tail than Anhingas. They are dark overall, lacking the silvery streaks and wing patches that Anhingas have. In flight cormorants look chunkier than the slender Anhinga.
© Mark Sawyer / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 10, 2017Looking for ID Help?
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