Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

Beak

—

Feet

—

Crest

No crest

Widespread resident; unrecorded in parts of NW and NE subcontinent and Himalayas. Long, slim head and neck, dagger-like bill, and long tail. Adult breeding has dark brown crown and hind neck, white stripe down side of neck, blackish breast and underparts. lanceolate white scapular streaks. and white streaking on wing-coverts. Duller in non-breeding plumage. Immature browner with indistinct neck stripe and with bullish - white foreneck and blackish underparts, and bull fringes to coverts forming pale panel on upperw ing. Olten swims with head and neck above the water and body below. Seen singly, in scattered pairs and sometimes in larger groups. Spends much time drying it sspread wings and tail while sitting on a favoured perch. Unlike cormorants, does not leap up before diving, but slowly submerges. Lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, marshes and other inland waters; also mangroves and coastal waters.