There are many birds that live in the wetlands. Anhingas, herons and many other birds live in wetlands. Some of the birds are being threatened by people. People are trying to move their homes on to the wetlands because because there is usually a nice view. This affects the food chain. When humans move to a place the insects' breeding grounds are destroyed. The insects are what the fish and some birds eat, and the birds eat fish, and that causes a chain reaction. The birds and fish don't have enough food which kills a lot of birds and fish. That leads to over population of bugs in that area. Then people probably won't want to live there and that is just a waste of a lot of fish and birds and wetlands and for what? Nothing.

Strange Birds

The Anhinga is the strangest bird that my teacher and I ever saw. This bird has a snake like neck and swoops into the water and stays in there for a while. The first time we saw it was when we went kayaking at West Lake Park. At first we thought it did suicide, but when we asked Mrs. Warner our volunteer helper, a person who knows a lot about birds, she said immediately ,"Anhinga." We were astonished at how fast she answered.

Other names: Snakebird, water turkey, and darter. The Anhinga symbolizes the mysterious, Spanish moss-draped interior wetlands of the deep South and Florida. As if standing guard over swampland hideouts, these graceful birds perch with wings outspread over the brown colored waters. Because their feather structure is designed to become waterlogged to make it easier for diving and movement under water, Anhingas must spread their wings to dry when they get out of the water. They poke their pointed beak right through the fish they catch. The head and neck of the male is black, females have a tan neck, while the young anhinga are mostly brown. The main nesting season is March to June, when 3-6 white to light bluish eggs are laid in the company of other nesting Anhingas, herons, or ibises. They are really at home in the water and air, the Anhinga is a very strong flier, and is often seen soaring vulture-like high over lakes and swamps. The very long neck and turkeylike tail shows this bird in flight.

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