Scientific name:
Anhingidae

Natural spread:
Africa, America, Asia

in the southern North America as well as in means and South America (until North-Argentina) lives the 70-90 cm big Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), as the darters are also named. The name Anhinga comes from the Indian; it marks scientifically also it over Africa and Madagascar, Near east and South-Asia (from India as far as to the Philippines), New Guinea and Australia (without Tasmania) spread darter (Anhinga rufa). This bird 90 cm long also approximately resembles the American type almost completely in its habits, however the coloring of the subtypes varies quite strongly.

Shape Both sexes sometimes differ something for itself in the coloring, is equally big, however. Darters show much similarity with the Kormoranen, that are its next relatives from the physique surely. The long neck (20 neck-fuss), the slimmer head and the pointed, spear-good beak, that are 7,4-9 cm long, are different. Also the very long tail (20-24 cm) with stiff tax-feathers is a typical characteristic of this Ruderfüßer. As the plumage of the darters leaves waters with Kormoranen through so that they lie very deeply when swimming in the water and only neck and head often stick out over the surface.

Way of life Darters live usually individually or in pairs, with favorable food-conditions also in larger groups, at seas, quiet flow-waters and estuaries. they rarely hunt its loot - almost exclusively fish - amphibians and cancers, under water, also once by diving very skillfully and almost completely noiselessly and itself with powerful rudder-hit of the web-fortified feet and half-opened held wings at its loot along-stalks. Then, the long one leaps, S-förmig broken neck the head with its pointed beak before, special-education of the 8. and 9. Neck-fuss about a particular joint (that makes a befalling fast as lightning possible) so that the loot-animal is harpooned downright. The edges of the waiter and sub-beak are finely toothed. So the slippery loot cannot escape so easily, if the darter appears, the speared "victim" of the beak shakes and thereupon, head in front, swallows.

After a stay in the water like Kormorane, darters dry its wing-plumage completely extended at the air. When starting of the water-surface, the slim birds do themselves quite heavily; if they are in the air however once, they fly with powerful flap or sail persevering in thermal upcurrents, with what often it its big tail fanlike aufspreizen and the long neck with its characteristic "crack" far extends. Occasionally, "Darters" circle at favorable places in big height with little sturgeon and pelicans together. To resting, they visit resting places in treetops where they sunbathe in steep-raised attitude. Usually such resting places are densely because of the water so that the birds can simply drop themselves with danger and can dive.

Brood Also its nests, relatively small constructions from branches and branches, - that are from-dressed with green foliage indoors - place darters standing bushes and trees against the water in densely. The male creates Nistmaterial, that then is obstructed by the female bird, on that occasion along. Frequently, several nests of darters are built densely in immediate proximity side by side; the birds like to also nest in assorted brood-colonies together with other bird-types (Z). B. Herons and Kormorane.

The nest consists of 3-6 greenish-blue eggs with white lime-coating (5,3 x 4,3 cm), which, of the 1. Egg at, for 25-28 days from both alto-birds erbrütet becomes. The slipping boys still are bare and blind, trains a dense Dunenkleid very soon, however. they are provided with forth-choked food, that the squabs get out themselves directly from the pharynx, by both parents. The entire head vanishes in the parental pharynx-area on that occasion. Also waters bring the brood-partners in the pharynx in order to nurse the thirst of the offspring. With threatening danger, the nestlings choke undigested food forth or drop itself under the nest into the water themselves. Little one boy often doesn't manage the climb to the nest back and doesn't go at the base, while older darters (from 2 weeks for example) know to move properly skillfully in the branches. They take also the flexible neck and the still small wings on that occasion to help.

Molt Adult darters molt its plumage in the connection with the brood-period and become unairworthy meanwhile, since a lot of swinging is canceled all at once.