Drying Out

A strange bird is the Anhinga. I couldn't get close to this one, but if you can get close to them, they bob their head at you, and open their mouth to scare you off.

It is a diving bird. They use their webbed feet to pursue and spear their fish prey. Then the fun starts. They have to get the fish off the "spear" and "juggle" it until they can swallow it.

The problem? Unlike ducks, ospreys, and pelicans which coat their feathers with their uropygial glands, anhingas do not have waterproof feathers. Thus, the drying out in the tree. They struggle to fly with wet feathers, and use the sun to reheat their bodies.

Other names for the anhinga include snakebird, darter, devil bird, and a water turkey.