Darter or Snake Bird

Darter. As the name suggests, it darts. The neck bones help the bird to shoot out its dagger shaped bill at its food, which is mostly fish, to either catch it or pierce it. It is a good under water swimmer and an excellent diver. It swims with its body submerged with only its slender neck, swaying and turning in a snake like manner, visible above the water. Hence the bird is also known as Snake bird.

These birds, when they are not pursuing their food, can often be seen drying their wings. They share their habitat with other water birds like cormorants, herons, egrets and storks. Like the other water birds, they roost on trees overhanging or near water.

Darter's nest is similar to that of cormorants -- A platform of twigs. They lay three to four elongated pale greenish blue eggs. In the last picture, both a darter and an egret are seen. The nest perhaps belongs to the egret.