Where does the Anhinga live?

The Anhinga lives in specific habitats and regions. Knowing where, and when, to look improves your chances of a successful sighting.

Biomes

Freshwater wetlands, swamps, marshes, slow-moving rivers, lakes, ponds, and occasionally brackish estuaries.

Geographic range

Southeastern United States (from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri), Mexico, Central America, Cuba, and much of South America east of the Andes.

Preferred environments

Areas with calm, clear water for hunting, and emergent vegetation or trees for perching, nesting, and drying wings. Requires perches over water or along shorelines.

Elevation range

Typically found at low elevations, from sea level up to a few hundred meters, always near water.

Where to look

Field tips

1. Scan for 'snakeheads'. Look for just the head and neck emerging from the water, often moving slowly as it hunts.
2. Look for drying birds. Spot them perched on snags, branches, or docks with wings spread wide to dry their feathers after diving.
3. Observe flight patterns. Watch for them soaring high on thermals, often in groups, or flying low over the water with powerful wingbeats.
4. Check colonial nesting sites. During breeding season, visit rookeries where they often nest alongside herons and egrets.

Migration

Mostly resident throughout its range, particularly in the southern parts. Northern populations (e.g., in the US) may undertake short-distance migrations to warmer areas during winter, moving south from the northernmost breeding grounds.

Explore the Anhinga