Anhinga Photos

28 thoughts on “Anhinga Photos”

  5. Amazing pictures. Such detail and clarity. Have you ever seen an anhinga thwacking a fish against a log twenty times before flipping it up into his mouth? I’m told it’s to break the bones. I just thought he wanted it really dead. Alas, I did not have my camera.

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    • Thanks very much I’m really happy you liked these anhinga pics! Yes I have seen them smacking the fish around and I suppose breaking the bones makes sense if it’s a fairly large fish. Being dead should not matter much since they generally eat it so fast the fish would barely have time to die anyway. Around here they also want to eat quick before a cormorant, pelican, or great blue heron can take away their fish.

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  6. What incredible pictures, Phil! Some of them, I had to admit, held a sort of grim fascination! I had never heard of an anhinga, so had to look it up. It seems to be a cross somewhere between a cormorant and a reptile. It is certainly an amazing bird, in the way it kills fish.

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    • Thank you Maggie, I appreciate you checking out these photos. Sometimes the anhinga is referred to as a snake bird because of it’s long neck which it can wriggle around in a snake like manner I suppose. It is most similar to a cormorant, except they each fish in different ways. The cormorant grabs a fish with it’s bill while the anhinga spears the fish. But both fish underwater and both are not waterproof birds and must dry off after getting out of the water.

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  8. Your current post lead me here..and what a fantastic group of pictures. When I’ve seen anhingas fishing they’ve always been so far. So these are so interesting!! Seems the anhingas tend to spear the fish and the great blue herons swallow without spearing…is that right? Although I have seen them squish them with their bills.

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    • Thank you very much for visiting this gallery and checking out the anhinga photos, I appreciate it very much Judy.
      The anhingas do spear the fish and the blue herons *mostly* grab a fish but certainly can spear it whether purposely or accidently. I have many photos of great blues with speared fish. I think they don’t care as long as they get to keep and it the fish.
      I have a photo series upcoming where a great blue came up with a fish that must have be partially squashed when the bird stabbed it. The fish has mud all over it’s head. looks fairly beat up, and was likely driven down into the bottom of the marsh when the heron struck it.

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  10. Anhingas are my favorite swamp birds and these are all wonderful shots. You’re lucky to have such clear water! Our southeast Louisiana swamps don’t usually allow such clarity for the underwater spread “turkey” tails….

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    • Yes the anhingas are terrific to watch and photograph. We don’t always have clear water, right now there is a lot of weeds in the marsh pond and the birds and alligators have to struggle to fine fairly clear water to feed in. So I’m not seeing too much turkey tails right now. 🙂

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  14. These are awesome photos. What time of day do you find that they normally eat? Did you find a specific time that was best to get those shots?

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  15. I’m still fascinated with these I can’t help wondering what the fish is thinking, is he flopping around or does he decide its no use and then rests inside the Anhinga.

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