A common sight around most bodies of water in Florida, the Anhinga is a diving bird that spears its fish underwater and then surfaces to flip the prey into its mouth before swallowing it down. Unlike most waterfowl, the Anhinga does not have the oil glands used in “waterproofing” its feathers. This lack of oil allows the bird to dive farther and stay underwater longer in search of food. However, it’s hard for birds to fly with wet feathers, so the Anhinga can often be seen with its wings outstretched, drying its wet feathers in the sun.

Gatorland is home to a large number of Anhinga, and they can frequently be seen diving into the lake with the alligators to catch fish. They are a rather stocky, medium sized bird with a long slender neck, sharp pointed beak, and webbed feet. Body color is black, with a white to silver “turkey” type pattern to its wings and rather long tail. Because of this, the Anhinga is sometimes referred to as a “Water Turkey” or “Snake Bird”, the latter due to its long neck resembling a snake in the water. Males have an almost all black neck and chest, while females have a buff to brown coloration.

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