Scientific Name: Anhinga melanogaster
Malay Name: Kosa-Ular Asia
Chinese Name: 黑腹蛇鹈
Range: Found from Pakistan to India and Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 85-97 cm
Identification: Distinguished from Cormorant species by the longish slender pointed bill, long thin neck and relatively long tail. Body glossy black with bold white streaks on upper mantle, scapulars and coverts. Head and neck brownish with pale throat and long whitish stripe extending from eye down to neck-side.
Habitat: Lakes, marshes, large rivers and quarry ponds.
Behaviour/Ecology: Hunt for fishes with body fully submerged and only head above water.
Local Status: Uncommon visitor
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Sighted at Kranji Reservoir, Bukit Gombak, Pulau Ubin and St John’s Island.
Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022, Jun 2022, Jul 2022, Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Mar 2023, Apr 2023, May 2023, Jun 2023, Jul 2023, Aug 2023, Sep 2023, Oct 2023, Nov 2023, Dec 2023, Jan 2024, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, May 2024, Jul 2024, Aug 2024, Sep 2024, Oct 2024
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Oriental Darter)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Anhinga melanogaster. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696712A93582012.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Oriental Darter. Retrieved on December 11, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/oriental-darter.