Monday, June 4, 2012

>Anhinga novaehollandiae (Australasian Darter or Australian Darter)

Australasian Darter or Australian Darter


Australasian Darter
Australasian Darter, Anhinga novaehollandiae
Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Pelecaniformes
Family:Anhingidae
Genus:Anhinga
Species:A. novaehollandiae
Binomial name
Anhinga novaehollandiae
(Gould, 1847)
Synonyms
Anhinga laticeps (De Vis, 1906)
Anhinga melanogaster novaehollandiae
Plotus laticeps De Vis, 1906
The Australasian Darter or Australian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) is a species of bird in the darter family, Anhingidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. It weighs around 2.6 kg, spans 85-90 cm in length, and has a lifespan of up to 15 years.
It is closely related to American (Anhinga anhinga), African (Anhinga rufa), and Oriental (Anhinga melanogster) Darters.
Typical habitat is freshwater or brackish wetlands more than 0.5m deep with fallen trees or logs and vegetated banks; less commonly, Darters are found in sheltered saltwater or estuarine environments.

Various views and plumages

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