What is the Difference Between Cormorant and Anhinga?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main differences between cormorants and anhingas are:
- Bill shape: Anhingas have a sharp, pointed bill, while cormorants have a curved, hooked bill that often turns downward.
- Neck length: Anhingas have a longer neck than cormorants.
- Tail length: Anhingas have a longer tail than cormorants.
- Swimming behavior: Anhingas swim slowly with their head poking out of the water, while cormorants are more powerful swimmers and often dive underwater from the surface.
- Flight capabilities: Anhingas can soar through the sky using a flapping motion, whereas cormorants do not soar as well.
- Body shape: Anhingas have a more compact body than cormorants.
- Markings: Anhingas have white markings on their backs, while cormorants do not.
- Eye color: Anhingas have blue or blue-green eyes, while cormorants have crystal blue eyes.
- Nesting colonies: Anhingas nest in small colonies, often with herons or egrets, while cormorants nest in large colonies.
Both birds have long, snake-like necks, like to perch along the shores of bodies of water, and primarily feed on fish by hunting underwater.
On this pageWhat is the Difference Between Cormorant and Anhinga? Comparative Table: Cormorant vs Anhinga
Comparative Table: Cormorant vs Anhinga
Here is a table comparing the differences between cormorants and anhingas:
Feature | Anhinga | Cormorant |
---|---|---|
Bill | Sharp, pointed bill | Curved, downward-pointing bill |
Crest | Usually golden-toned | Black with white tips |
Tail | Longer than cormorant | Shorter than anhinga |
Neck | Longer than cormorant | Shorter than anhinga |
Diet | Freshwater fish and aquatic prey | Coastal waters fish and prey |
Habitat | Freshwater areas | Coastal waters |
Flight | Soars with flapping motion | Unable to soar, continuous flapping |
Lifespan | Average 12 years (wild) | Average 25 years (wild) |
Anhingas and cormorants are both large, black, water-dwelling birds that feed on fish and hunt beneath the water's surface. However, they have distinct differences in their bills, crests, tails, necks, diets, habitats, and flight capabilities.
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