Anhinga

Anhinga, male

While I was photographing the green-winged Teal at Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, this male Anhinga quietly supervised. Such a strange looking bird with the black-and-white plumage and daggar-like bill, used to actually spear fish. The fluffy plumes near the head are not just a bad hair day, they are his breeding plumes. Other names for the Anhinga are "piano bird" ( for the black-and-white wing feathers) and "snake bird" (they can swim with body submerged and just the head and neck above water.)