I photographed this female Anhinga sitting on the side of the river from the boat at Wakulla Springs State Park. She has much lighter neck feathers than the males.
Sanibel Island, FL Dec. 15, 2009 This male and white-breasted juvenile were flying quite high, so this was the best photo I could get. The male's red pouch is just barely visible under his beak. During mating rituals, he will inflate the pouch to impress the females. These fish-eating birds have a very distinctive profile, so they are easy to identify even flying high in the sky.
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park, FL Dec. 14, 2009 Unfortunately, most of the birds at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park were injured and unreleasable. The only good thing is they are well-cared for and it gives the general public a rare chance to observe them up close. The large, hooked beak is used for tearing the flesh from fish. The talons are used for capturing the fish.
