Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Suliformes
Family : Anhingidae
Genus : Anhinga
Species : Anhinga melanogaster
Government of Kerala has initiated a campaign to protect the Snake bird and has declared June 22 as the 'Snake-Bird Day'. Known as Oriental Darter and Anhinga melanogaster in scientific parlance, snake bird is a large slender long-necked water bird and is mostly black with silver wing markings.
The species, which usually nests atop tall trees near wetlands, is largely found in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Wayanad and Thiruvananthapuram districts. As per a recent survey, there are over 1500 snake birds in the country in which majority are in Kerala.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the species in the 'nearly-threatened' category. The term 'Darter' is used for their manner and process of procuring food and the way they catch fish with their thin, pointed beaks.
It spears a fish underwater, bringing it above the surface, tossing and juggling it before swallowing the fish head first. The body remains submerged as it swims, and the slender neck alone is visible above the water, which accounts for the colloquial name of Snake-bird.
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