African Darter (Anhinga rufa)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

African Darter

Anhinga rufa (Daudin, 1802)

80 cmLength1.5 kgWeight

The African darter (Anhinga rufa), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.

Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Botswana, Kenya

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Darter has been recorded at 390 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 37 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,406 records
  2. Rondevlei NRSouth Africa790 records
  3. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa773 records
More places
  1. Chobe River – boat tripBotswana649 records
  2. Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa523 records
  3. Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa493 records
  4. Murchison Falls NP – Boat trip Paraa to Murchison FallsUganda457 records
  5. Lake Nakuru NPKenya443 records
  6. Kirstenhof WetlandSouth Africa371 records
  7. Lake BaringoKenya364 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaBotswanaKenyaNamibiaUgandaGambiaSenegalZambia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The African darter (Anhinga rufa), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the African Darter?

The African Darter is about 80 cm long and weighs around 1.5 kg.

Where does the African Darter live?

Its breeding range: Africa, Palearctic: southeastern Iraq, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Botswana and Kenya.

When is the best time to see the African Darter?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the African Darter endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the African Darter as Least Concern.

What does the African Darter eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the African Darter in?

It belongs to the family Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae), order Suliformes.

At a glance

Length
80 cm
Weight
1.5 kg
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
On the water surface
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
344 mm
Tail
243 mm
Bill
87 mm
Tarsus
46 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa, Palearctic: southeastern Iraq, Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Anhingas, Darters Anhingidae
Genus
Anhinga

Other birds in the genus Anhinga

AnhingaAnhingaAnhinga anhingaAustralasian DarterAustralasian DarterAnhinga novaehollandiaeOriental DarterOriental DarterAnhinga melanogaster
African Darter

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by lance_robinson. ↗

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