Darters, also called ‘Snakebirds’, are a species similar to Cormorants, and have very long necks, much larger and longer than that of Cormorants.

A Darter at Kabini

It is often believed that Darters swim with their necks above the water’s surface and bodies beneath it. While this is true, it’s in fact a tactic used by the species when an enemy (or a boat with tourists) approaches very close to them.

The closer you get to a Darter, the lower it sinks, and normally just has its neck and head above the water’s surface, often resembling a snake popping its head out of the water! Thus Darters are also called ‘Snakebirds’. However, under normal circumstances, they are buoyant like ducks or swans in water.

Darter eggs are a delicacy in certain cultures, while the birds are also eaten off and on. Some nomads in Assam and Bengal train Darters to be employed as in Cormorant Fishing – a traditional fishing technique in which fishermen use trained Cormorants to catch fish, where the bird has a ‘collar’ like that of a dog around its throat, preventing it from eating the fish it catches. Thus, when the fish is caught, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and takes the fish from it.

Oriental Darters (featuring in the list of threatened species) are regular visitors to the Kabini waters. The best sighting of these birds is made on the lake during Boat Safaris. Distinguished by their white lateral neck stripes, these birds are a real treat to watch!

Oriental Darter

Rajan Kanagasabai

An ardent Environmentalist and an avid wildlife Photographer, Rajan is a prominent member of leading Environmental, Wildlife and Photography organizations. His works have been featured on several travel magazines. A frequent visitor to Orange County, Kabini and Coorg, Rajan specializes in Wildlife and Bird Photography. Possessing over 23 years of experience working in the IT Industry, Rajan holds a senior management position at one of India's top IT companies. Rajan has reviewed a number of global resorts for several leading travel journals and blogs and is also a Destination Expert for the renowned Trip Advisor travel forum.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 29th, 2011 at 2:21 pm and is filed under Birds, Destinations, Nature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.