Anhingidae is a family of birds that has such birds as snakebirds and darters, largely tropical water-birds. In this family, about four species are living, where three of them are quite widespread and common, while the rarer fourth one has been classified largely as nearly threatened. For such a term as ‘snakebird’, it is largely used devoid of prior additions in trying to signify any of the ultimately allopatric species that does occur within any area. The term also refer to these bird’s long neck that is quite thin having a snake appearance, mostly as they swim while their bodies are intensely submerged, as well as during that time when the pairs that are mating end up twisting it as they portray their bonding gimmicks. In the case of the ‘Darter’, it is refers to a particular species within this family. It is alluded to their demeanor of food procurement, such as during that time they are impaling fish using their own pointed beaks that are very thin. The A. anhinga or American Darter is termed as the Anhinga, where it has earned the title of ‘water turkey’ within the southern area of the United States. Yet this has no basis in taxonomy since the Darter is not related to American wild turkey.

The Anhingidae, in this case, darters are birds that are quite huge and have a dimorphic plumage of a sexual nature. They usually measure around 80-100cm in terms of length, while their wings span about 120cm or about 4ft, while their weight is about 37 to 48 oz. For the males they have a plumage that is dark brown or black and they also have a short erectile kind of crest along their nape and a bigger bill as compared to the females. Most females have a larger and paler plumage, mostly around the under-parts area and on the neck, as well as being larger overall. Both the two sexes wield a grey stippling in scapular that are longer as well as on their upper-wing coverts.

Distribution

The darters are mainly distribution along tropical lines where they range within the subtropical areas and barely into the warmer temperate areas. They are birds that have their habitats along freshwater bodies such as marshes, swamps, rivers, while you might not find many of them along the seashores with bays and brackish estuaries, mangroves and lagoons. Their sedentary nature mean that they hardy migrate, However, some of the darter populations found along those areas that are cool could migrate. They prefer a flight mode of gliding after soaring within a holistic flapping flight, which are quite cumbersome. On terrestrial terrain, the darters are known to walk with a gait that is high stepped, with wings mainly spread to maintain balance, mostly like the behavior of the pelicans. The darters also breed within colonies, where they mix with herons and cormorants occasionally. Within a breeding season, the darters are known to bond rather monogamously in their pairing act of breeding.