Page 8 - Jupiter Spotlight - October '23

Page 8, Jupiter Spotlight
Northern Notes

Anhinga Or Cormorant – food. However, there Finally, the two types

How To Tell The Difference are many differences of birds vary in how
they fly through the air.
between the two.
The first difference Anhingas soar and flap
By Katie Roundtree, is the shape of their their wings occasionally
Director of Finance and beak. Cormorants once their wings are
Administration, Northern have a curved beak, dry. They need a taller
Palm Beach County while anhingas have platform to take off
Improvement District a sharp, pointed from to soar through
Have you ever walked beak. Cormorants eat the sky. Cormorants flap
or driven by a lake in the primarily fish and can their wings the whole
area and seen a bird sitting eat up to one pound of time they fly, allowing
by the side of the lake with fish per day. Anhingas them to take off more
their wings outstretched and eat fish, crabs, frogs easily from the ground
wondered what they were and other invertebrates. Anhinga than anhingas. Cormorant
doing? Two types of birds They use their pointed Next time you see
found in lakes around Palm Beach County display this beak to stab their prey and bring it back to shore to eat. one of these dark-colored birds with their wings outstretched,
activity: anhingas and cormorants. These birds with snake- Anhingas have longer necks and fuller, longer tails than try to see if you can tell if they are an anhinga or a cormorant.
like necks will perch by the water and spread their wings to cormorants. The anhinga’s nickname is the water turkey due Remember, “C” for a curved beak and wearing basic black is
dry after diving for food. When the anhingas and cormorants to the size of its tail. Their other nickname is snake birds since a cormorant, and if it has a sharp, pointed beak, long tail, and
enter the water, their feathers get soaked because they don’t their neck is as long and curved as a snake. They can be seen wearing a light-colored jacket, it’s the water turkey or anhinga.
possess oil glands like other water birds. However, this swimming slowly through the water with only their necks NPDES tip: It is important to never dump any debris,
allows them to move faster and more efficiently through and head above the surface. Cormorants are more compact including but not limited to landscape waste, garbage or
the water. Their feathers soaked with water make them and are powerful swimmers. They use their webbed feet to chemicals into a storm sewer inlet. While bulky materials can
very heavy when they get out of the water. Therefore, they dive deep and catch larger fish. cause flooding, chemicals and other wastes that are dumped
have to stand in the sun with their wings extended to dry Their plumage and eyes are also slightly different from into a storm sewer eventually drain into lakes and canals,
themselves in order to fly again. each other. The anhinga is slim with white markings on its which threaten fish and wildlife and pollute the water. Please
Anhingas and cormorants look similar when spotted back, like a coat of light-colored feathers, and blue-green check our website for information regarding illegal dumping.
from afar. They are both dark in color, either black or dark to reddish-colored eyes. The cormorant is stockier than the Photos by Lucas Schaffer,
brown. They both have long necks and dive to catch fish for anhinga, with no markings on its back and crystal blue eyes. Environmental Manager, NPBCID
Reading Time

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