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African Darter

The African Darter, sometimes called the Snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa.The African Darter is a member of the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to American, Oriental, and Australian Darters.The male is mainly glossy black with white streaking, but females and immature birds are browner. The African Darter differs in appearance from the American Darter most recognisably by its thin white lateral neck stripe against a rufous background colour. The pointed bill should prevent confusion with cormorants.

The African Darter is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of water occur. The bird used to breed there in breeding colonies with Pygmy Cormorant and Sacred Ibis and other waterfowl.

One subspecies, the Levant Darter , occurred at Lake Amik in south-central Turkey, in Hula valley lake and marshes in northern Israel and in the marshes of the lower Euphrat and Tigris rivers in southern Iraq. The Turkish population disappeared during the 1930s, the Israeli population during Hula drainage in the 1950s, and the Iraqui population during the Gulf War in the 1990s.

This species builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 3–6 eggs. It often nests with herons, egrets and cormorants.

It often swims with only the neck above water, hence the common name snakebird. This, too, is a habit shared with the other anhingas.

 African Darter

 African Darter

 African Darter

 African Darter