Home › Aves › Anhingidae › Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
SPECIES PROFILE
Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)
Anhinga
IUCN STATUS
Near Threatened
CONSERVATION STATUS
Near Threatened
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Indian subcontinent southeast Asia
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Wetlands lakes rivers
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Suliformes
FAMILY
Anhingidae
GENUS
Anhinga
📋 Description
SIZE
85-95 cm long 1-1.5 kg
COLORATION
Black with white streaks long neck snake-like
ADAPTATIONS
Long neck for underwater spearing webbed feet for diving
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Wetlands lakes rivers
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Indian subcontinent southeast Asia
REPRODUCTION
Lays 3-6 eggs in tree nests incubated 25-30 days
DIET DETAILS
Fish small aquatic animals
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Water pollution habitat loss
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Snake Birds: Oriental Darters spear with 1.2 kg bodies eating 300 grams of fish daily in Chilika's waters. Their snake-like necks aid hunting.
2
Diving Hunters: These darters cover 3000 sq km in Odisha's wetlands nesting in trees. Pollution threatens their fish prey.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Chilika Lake in Odisha
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March Dry season concentrates fish for spotting darters
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch oriental darters drying wings on perches after diving
🐾 You Might Also Want to See...
Species
Range
Status
Species
Range
Status
Species
Range
Status
Species
Range
Status
