| Australasian Darter | |
|---|---|
| Australasian Darter, Anhinga novaehollandiae | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Anhingidae |
| Genus: | Anhinga |
| Species: | A. novaehollandiae |
| Binomial name | |
| Anhinga novaehollandiae (Gould, 1847) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Anhinga laticeps (De Vis, 1906) |
|
The Australasian Darter or Australian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) is a species of bird in the darter family, Anhingidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. It weighs around 2.6 kg, spans 85-90 cm in length, and has a lifespan of up to 15 years.[2]
It is closely related to American (Anhinga anhinga), African (Anhinga rufa), and Oriental (Anhinga melanogster) Darters.
Typical habitat is freshwater or brackish wetlands more than 0.5m deep with fallen trees or logs and vegetated banks; less commonly, Darters are found in sheltered saltwater or estuarine environments.