Monday, March 17, 2014

Creature Feature #150: Darter

The Darter, or Anhinga, is a member of the Shag Family. His feet are located quite far back on his body and fully webbed, giving him an awkward gait on land and focring him to walk with his wings open for balance. A colony nester, males can be quite aggressive and will stab out at neighbours with their long, sharp bills. These bills are adept at snatching fish from the water, and like all shags the Darter has no oil in his plumage. This has the advantage of decreased buoyancy - meaning he can make deeper dives after fish, but does mean he becomes waterlogged fairly easily. To dry off, he must perch with his wings outspread in the sunlight.

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