Anhinga rufa (African Darter)

African Darter

Anhinga rufa (Daudin, FM 1802)

The African darter (Anhinga rufa), sometimes called the snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq. Source: Wikipedia

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Classification

Order:
  Pelecaniformes
Family:
  Anhingidae
Genus:
   Anhinga
Scientific:
  Anhinga rufa

Original description

Citation:
(Daudin, FM 1802)

Reference:
Hist. Nat. [Buffon ed. Didot] Quadr. 14 p.319

Protonym:
Plotus rufus

Type locality:
Senegal.

Link:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/132091#page/371/mode/1up

Avibase identifiers

Avibase ID:
5C7936A7E5949CE8

Avibase ID:
avibase-5C7936A7

Short link:
https://avibase.ca/5C7936A7

Taxonomic Serial Number:
TSN: 174760

Geographic range:

Anhinga rufa: widespread sub-Saharan Africa along slow-moving rivers, freshwater and alkaline lakes, swamps, and mangroves, from Senegambia eastward to Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, and southward to South Africa, Madagascar, and wetlands of lower Tigris–Euphrates in Iraq and Iran; extirpated in Türkiye
Anhinga rufa rufa: sub-Saharan Africa
Anhinga rufa chantrei: wetlands of lower Tigris-Euphrates (Iraq and Iran); formerly also Türkiye (where extirpated by early 1960s)
Anhinga rufa vulsini: Madagascar

Source: Clements checklist

English:
African Darter
Afrikaans:
Slanghalsvoël
Arabic:
زُقة افريقية
Azerbaijani:
Afrika ilanboyunu
Bulgarian:
Африканска змиешийка
Bengali:
িঅচিকান গয়ায
Catalan:
Anhinga africà
Czech:
anhinga africká
Danish:
Afrikansk Slangehalsfugl
German:
Afrika-Schlangenhalsvogel
Greek:
Αφρικανική Ανίγκα
Esperanto:
afrika anhingo
Spanish:
Anhinga Africana
Spanish (Spain):
Anhinga Africana
Estonian:
aafrika madukael
Basque:
Anhinga afrikarra
Persian:
مارگردن
Finnish:
afrikankäärmekaula
French:
Anhinga d'Afrique
Hebrew:
נחשון אפריקני
Croatian:
afrička zmijovrata
Hungarian:
afrikai kígyónyakúmadár
Icelandic:
Ryðskutli
Italian:
Aninga africana
Japanese (romaji):
afurikahebiu
Japanese:
アフリカヘビウ
Lithuanian:
Afrikinis žalčiagalvis
Latvian:
Āfrikas čūskkaklis
Dutch:
Afrikaanse Slangenhalsvogel
Norwegian Nynorsk:
Afrikaslangehals
Norwegian:
Afrikaslangehals
Polish:
wężówka afrykańska
Portuguese:
Mergulhão-serpente
Portuguese (Portugal):
mergulhão-serpente-africano
Romanian:
Anhinga roşcată
Russian:
Африканская змеешейка
Slovak:
anhinga hrdzavokrká
Slovenian:
afriški kačjevratnik
Serbian:
Afrička zmijovrata
Swedish:
afrikansk ormhalsfågel
Turkish:
Yılanboyun
Ukrainian:
змієшийка африканська
Chinese:
红蛇鹈
Chinese (Traditional):
非洲蛇鵜〔紅蛇鵜〕

Authorities recognizing this taxonomic concept:

African Bird Club Checklist 2004: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
African Bird Club Checklist August 2005: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
African Bird Club Checklist March 2007: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
African Bird Club Checklist January 2008: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
African Bird Club Checklist May 2009: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
African Bird Club Checklist March 2010: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
Avibase taxonomic concepts (current): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2023 (May 2023): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2024 (Oct 2024): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2025 (Nov 2025): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 01 (August 2013): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 02 (May 2014): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 03 (March 2015): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 04 (Aug 2016): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 05 (Jan 2017): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 06 (Feb 2018): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 07 (Feb 2020): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 08 (Feb 2021): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Avilist 2025: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 00: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 01: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 02: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 03: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 04: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 05 (Jun 2012): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 05.1 (Oct 2012): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 06 (Nov 2013): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 06.1 (Feb 2014): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 07 (Jul 2014): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 08 (Oct 2015): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 09 (Dec 2016): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Birdlife checklist version 09.1 (Jun 2017): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v2 (Dec 2017): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v3 (Nov 2018): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v4 (Dec 2019): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v5 (Dec 2020): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6 (Dec 2021): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6b (Jul 2022): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v7 (Dec 2022): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v8 (Dec 2023): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v9 (Oct 2024): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v10 (Oct 2025): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Commission internationale pour les noms français des oiseaux (1993): Anhinga d'Afrique ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 1st edition: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2021: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2022: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2023: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2024: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2025: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 3rd edition: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 4th edition: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.5 incl. 2010 revisions): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.6 incl. 2011 revisions): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.7 incl. 2012 revisions): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.8 incl. 2013 revisions): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements 6th edition (version 6.9 incl. 2014 revisions): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2015: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2016: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2017: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2018: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Clements, version 2019: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 1.50: Darter (African) ( Anhinga melanogaster rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 1.52: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 1.53: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 1.54: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 1.55: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2015: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2016: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2017: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2018: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2019: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2021: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2022: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2023: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2024: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
eBird version 2025: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Howard and Moore 2nd edition: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
Howard and Moore 2nd edition (incl. ? suppl): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa)
Howard and Moore 4th edition (vol. 1-2): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Howard and Moore 4th edition (incl. corrigenda vol.1-2): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (31/01/2015): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (03/07/2017): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2017): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2018): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 1.6: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 1.7: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.0: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.3: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.4: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.5: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.6: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.7: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.8: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.9: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.10: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 2.11: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.3: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.4: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 3.5: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.3: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 4.4: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.3: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 5.4: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.3: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 6.4: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 7.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 7.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 7.3: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 8.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 8.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 9.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 9.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 10.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 10.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.2: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 15.1: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Peters' Check-list of the Birds (original): Anhinga rufa [version 1]
Peters' Check-list of the Birds (2nd edition): Anhinga melanogaster rufa [version 1]
Sibley and Monroe (1993): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Sibley and Monroe (1993, including corrections up to 1998): African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]
Sibley and Monroe, Birds of the World Version 2.0: African Darter ( Anhinga rufa) [version 1]

Taxonomic status:

Species status: full species (sometimes a subspecies)

This taxon is considered a subspecies of Anhinga [melanogaster, rufa or novaehollandiae] (sensu lato) by some authors

Your sightings

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Related taxa

Alternative arrangements: 1 2

Highlight taxa in a checklist (shown in red)

Other synonyms

See also the taxonomic synonyms table.

Afrikaans: Slanghalsvoël
Arabic: زُقة افريقية
Azerbaijani: Afrika ilanboyunu
Belarusian: Афрыканская змеяшыйка
Bulgarian: Африканска змиешийка
Bengali: িঅচিকান গয়ায
Bengali (transliteration): āphrikāna gaẏāra
Breton: Evn-naer Afrika
Catalan: Anhinga africà
Czech: anhinga africká, Anhinga rezavá
Chuvash: Африка çĕлен майĕ
Welsh: Gwanwr Affrica
Danish: Afrikansk Slangehalsfugl
German: Afrikanischer Schlangenhalsvogel, Afrika-Schlangenhalsvogel, Schlangenhalsvogel
Greek: Αφρικαvικός φιδoλαίμης, Αφρικανική Ανίγκα
English: African Darter, Australian Anhinga, Darter, Darter (African), Old Word Darter, Rufous Darter, Snakebird, Snake-bird
English (Avilist): African Darter
English, HBW: African Darter
English (IOC): African Darter
English (Kenya): African Darter
English (United States): African Darter
Esperanto: Afrika anhingo, Afrika sagobirdo, nigraventra anhingo
Spanish: Anhinga Africana, Aninga Africana, Aninga Común
Spanish (Spain): Anhinga Africana
Spanish (HBW): Anhinga africana
Spanish (Mexico): Anhinga Africana
Estonian: aafrika madukael
Basque: Anhinga afrikarra
Persian: باکلان مارگردن, مارگردن, مارگردن آفریقایی
Finnish: Afrikankäärmekaula, käärmekaula
French: Anhinga, Anhinga d’Afrique, Anhinga d'Afrique, Anhinga du Sénégal, Anhinga roux
French (Guyane): Anhinga d'Afrique
Frisian: Afrikaanske slangehalsfûgel
Irish: Rúidire Afracach, Sciobaire rua
Galician: Bituatinga africana
Hebrew: נחשון, נחשון אפריקאי, נחשון אפריקני
Croatian: afrička zmijovrata
Hungarian: Afrikai kigyónyakúmadár, afrikai kígyónyakúmadár
Icelandic: Rauðskutli, Ryðskutli
Italian: Aninga africana, Ploto
Japanese (romaji): afurikahebiu
Japanese: アフリカヘビウ
Kwangali: Endeda
Kirghiz: Африка жылан моюну, Африка жыланмоюну
Scientific: Anhinga melanogaster rufa, Anhinga rufa, Anhinga rufa papua, Anhinga rufa rufa, Anhinga vulsini, Plotus capensis, Plotus Chantrei, Plotus congensis, Plotus levaillantii, Plotus levaillantii, Plotus Novae-Hollandiae, Plotus rufus
Lithuanian: Afrikinis žalčiagalvis, Afrikinis žalčiakaklis
Latvian: Āfrikas čūskkaklis
Malagasy: Manarana, Manaranomby, Ragniboay, Vadimboay, Vorona lava ambozona
Macedonian: Африканска змијоврата чапја
Malayalam: ചേരക്കോഴി
Dutch: Afrikaanse Slangehalsvogel, Afrikaanse Slangenhalsvogel
Norwegian Nynorsk: Afrikaslangehals
Norwegian: Afrikaslangehals
Polish: wezówka, wezówka afrykanska, wężówka afrykańska
Portuguese: Mergulhão-serpente, Mergulhão-serpente-africano
Portuguese (Angola): Mergulhão-serpente
Portuguese (Portugal): Mergulhão-serpente, mergulhão-serpente-africano
Rhaeto-Romance: Aninga africana
Romanian: Anhinga roşcată
Russian: Африканская змеешейка, Змеешейки анхинги
Northern Sami: Afrihkágearpmaščotta, Afrihkágearpmaščottá
Slovak: Anhinga červená, anhinga hrdzavokrká
Slovenian: afriški kačjevratnik
Serbian: Afrička zmijovrata
Sotho, Southern: Timeletsane-lalanoha
Swedish: Afrikansk ormhalsfågel
Swahili: Mbizi
Turkish: yılan boyun, Yılanboyun, yylanboyun
Tsonga: Gororo
Ukrainian: змієшийка африканська
Uzbek: Африка илонбўйини
Vietnamese: Cổ rắn
Xhosa: Ivuzi
Chinese: 红蛇鹈
Chinese (Traditional): 非洲蛇鵜〔紅蛇鵜〕
Zulu: inyoninyoka