Waterfowl and waterbirdsAnhingas

Anhinga

Anhinga anhinga

The anhinga, sometimes called darter, American darter, snakebird, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from a'ñinga in the Brazilian Tupi language and means "devil bird" or "snake bird". The origin of the name is apparent when swimming: only the neck appears above water, so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nares (nostrils) and breathe solely through their epiglottis, via small opercula at the corners of the beak.

Where it's been seen

Hotspots with reports in the last 30 days.

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Hornsby Bend (HOTE 037)Oct 5 · 8:46 AM
Platt Lane (Travis Co.)Oct 4 · 7:36 AM

Updated 1:26 PM

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Through the year

Rare or irregular

Anhinga: share of complete checklists, 2016–2026

Show as table

Anhinga: share of complete checklists, 2016–2026
Week	Checklists reporting it
Jan 1–7	<0.1%
Jan 8–14	0%
Jan 15–21	<0.1%
Jan 22–end	<0.1%
Feb 1–7	<0.1%
Feb 8–14	0%
Feb 15–21	0.1%
Feb 22–end	<0.1%
Mar 1–7	<0.1%
Mar 8–14	<0.1%
Mar 15–21	0.2%
Mar 22–end	<0.1%
Apr 1–7	0.3%
Apr 8–14	0.4%
Apr 15–21	0.2%
Apr 22–end	0.1%
May 1–7	<0.1%
May 8–14	<0.1%
May 15–21	0.3%
May 22–end	<0.1%
Jun 1–7	0.1%
Jun 8–14	0.3%
Jun 15–21	0.1%
Jun 22–end	0.1%
Jul 1–7	0.3%
Jul 8–14	0.5%
Jul 15–21	0.2%
Jul 22–end	0.1%
Aug 1–7	0.2%
Aug 8–14	0.2%
Aug 15–21	0.2%
Aug 22–end	0.4%
Sep 1–7	0.2%
Sep 8–14	0.3%
Sep 15–21	0.4%
Sep 22–end	0.2%
Oct 1–7	0.3%
Oct 8–14	0.4%
Oct 15–21	0.3%
Oct 22–end (now)	0.1%
Nov 1–7	0.2%
Nov 8–14	0.2%
Nov 15–21	0.4%
Nov 22–end	0.2%
Dec 1–7	0.2%
Dec 8–14	0.2%
Dec 15–21	<0.1%
Dec 22–end	0.1%

This week: Rare · 0.1% of checklists
Peak: mid Jul · 0.5% of checklists
Earliest eBird record here: Jul 21, 1970
Checklists reporting it: 687 across 33 years
eBird high count: 154 (Apr 8, 2002)
First of 2026: Jan 1
All year, here vs Texas: 0.2% of checklists here, 3% statewide
Texas counties with records: 150 of 254 since 2016

Best hotspots for it

Share of complete checklists at each hotspot that reported it (2016–2026). Hotspots with fewer than 15 checklists are left out, and the order discounts small samples, so a hotspot with few checklists can sit below one with a lower share.

1Barkley Meadows Park5% of 221
2Roy G. Guerrero Park—Secret Beach3% of 39
3Red Bud Isle Park (HOTE 044)2% of 42
4Austin's Colony Colorado River Park2% of 45
5Webberville Park (Little)2% of 53
6Webberville Park (Big)(HOTE 035)2% of 124
7Waller Creek Trail, Austin2% of 57
8Webberville Park (Big & Little) (HOTE 035)2% of 61

From the eBird Basic Dataset (Sep-2026), complete checklists only.

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