Listen to the Anhinga
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Anhinga
The Anhinga is a bird in the family Anhingidae (order Suliformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 120 cm.
What does the Anhinga sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
From Wikipedia
The anhinga (; Anhinga 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.
The anhinga is placed in the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to the Oriental (Anhinga melanogaster), African (Anhinga rufa), and Australasian (Anhinga novaehollandiae) darters. Like other darters, the anhinga hunts by spearing fish and other small prey using its sharp, slender beak.
Frequently asked questions
What does an Anhinga sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Anhinga on this page. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the Anhinga endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Anhinga as “least concern”.
What family does the Anhinga belong to?
The Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) belongs to the family Anhingidae in the order Suliformes.
Sources & credits
- Anhinga – US National Park Service by NPS – Public domain (NPS) · NPS
- Wikidata Q469940 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Anhinga – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Tim from Ithaca – CC BY 2.0