I Feel Pretty, So Pretty

by Sharon Williams Eng

Title

I Feel Pretty, So Pretty

Artist

Sharon Williams Eng

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

This wet anhinga found a log in the waters of Lake Jervey at the State College of Florida campus to perch on to stretch its wings and dry off in the sun.

According to Wikipedia, the anhinga, sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means "devil bird" or "snake bird". The origin of the name is apparent when swimming: only the neck appears above water so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nares (nostrils) and breathe solely through their epiglottis.

The bill is relatively long (about twice the length of the head, sharply pointed and yellow like their webbed feet. This bird is often mistaken for the double-crested cormorant due to its similar size and shape, although the two species can be differentiated by their tails and bills. The tail of the anhinga is wider and much longer than that of the cormorant. The bill of the anhinga is pointed, while the bill of the cormorant has a hook-tip. the Florida anhinga has white on the top of its wings, while the cormorant does not.

Unlike ducks, ospreys and pelicans which coat their feathers with oil from their uropygial gland, the anhinga does not have waterproof feathers. Their feathers get soaked upon immersion in water. Therefore, they cannot stay floating on water for long periods of time. Their dense bones, wetted plumage and neutral buoyancy in water, allows them to fully submerge and search for underwater prey.

The anhinga cannot fly with wet feathers. If it attempts to fly while its wings are wet, the anhinga has difficulty, flapping vigorously while "running" on the water. Like cormorants, the anhinga stands with wings spread and feathers fanned open in a semicircular shape to dry its feathers and absorb heat. They face away from the sun to dry their feathers.

I am an award-winning exhibiting artist in southwest Florida and my art has been exhi

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April 12th, 2021

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