Today's Bird: Anhinga

Today's bird is the Anhinga.  This one happens to be a female (you can tell by the tan neck and head--boys are all black).  I know it looks crazy, but this one's not a South American Bird, they live right here in the USA.  They're in the dinosaur bird collection; I sense that they're closely related to pterodactyls or some similar flying dino.  Anhingas are pretty common along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida year round.  Their range creeps a bit farther north in the summer, but really, they're water birds.  Keep an eye out for them on your next trip south.  I took this picture at Estero Llano Grande State Park on September 15, 2012.