Often seen swimming with only its long snake-like neck above water, earning it the nickname 'snakebird'.
Not listed
Indigenous: Garragarrag, Manan, Garrakgarrak, Garrakarrak, Madjiga, Garrag Garrag, Daibadak, Ma-Garrakgarrak, Wurrubudug, Manyjangali, Yanggalan, Arrgarrg
At a glance
FamilyAnhingas
SizeGiant
RarityCommon
HabitatDistribution and habitat Typical habitat is freshwater or brackish wetlands more than 0.5 m deep with fallen trees or logs and vegetated banks; less commonly, darters are found in inland saltwater environments.
Best timeReported across most months in Queensland, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Peter Boesman
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
367339approx records
6states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Swims snake-like with body submerged, and just its head and neck protruding from the water. In flight it can sometimes look like a large raptor, especially when soaring, but note the long neck and bill.
Behavior
Common around waterways, where it perches on trees and branches above the water, often holding its wings out to dry.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Northern Territory
Victoria
Western Australia
New South Wales
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory