Anhinga rufa

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PELECANIFORMES	ANHINGIDAE

Scientific Name:

Anhinga rufa

Species Authority:

(Daudin, 1802)

Common Name/s:

English	–	African Darter, Darter
French	–	Anhinga d'Afrique

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Comoros; Egypt; Yemen
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Comoros; Egypt; Yemen

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is mainly sedentary^{1, 3} but is subject to little known opportunistic local movements related to drought and wetland conditions^{1, 2, 3}. The timing of breeding is seasonal in some areas, but can be at any time of the year¹. The species usually breeds in mixed-species colonies^{1, 2, 3}, and roosts nightly in groups of 10 to 50³ (sometimes up to 100) in trees, bushes or reedbeds often in mixed-species groups², although it is generally a solitary feeder^{2, 5}. Its moulting habits are little known, but some adults may go through a flightless moult period after breeding³. Habitat The species shows a preference for still, shallow, inland freshwater and alkaline lakes and slow-flowing rivers fringed with reeds and trees^{1, 2, 5}. It may also occur in swamps^{1, 5}, reservoirs^{1, 3, 5}, river oxbows⁵ and forested streams^2, typically avoiding marine habitats³ but occasionally foraging inmangrove swamps¹, estuaries^{1, 2, 3, 5}, shallow tidal inlets^{1, 2} and coastal lagoons^{1, 2, 3}. It generally avoids fast-flowing rivers, areas with dense floating vegetation³, and narrow, steep-banked or seasonally drained habitats⁵, preferring to feed in water 1-3 m deep (up to 6 m)³ with forested margins or scattered emergent trees and islets with dense vegetation¹. The species requires trees, bushes or reedbeds for roosting², and prefers dead trees, rocks or banks to rest on after feeding³. Diet Its diet consists mainly of fish such as Cichlidae and Cyprinidae¹, although it will also take amphibians, water snakes, terrapins, aquatic insects, crustaceans and molluscs¹. Breeding site The species nests in mixed-species colonies^{1, 2}, each pair building a nest platform of sticks and other vegetation¹ in forks of trees or in reedbeds 1-6 m high² (often c.2 m )¹ over water or on islands³.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is mainly sedentary^{1, 3} but is subject to little known opportunistic local movements related to drought and wetland conditions^{1, 2, 3}. The timing of breeding is seasonal in some areas, but can be at any time of the year¹. The species usually breeds in mixed-species colonies^{1, 2, 3}, and roosts nightly in groups of 10 to 50³ (sometimes up to 100) in trees, bushes or reedbeds often in mixed-species groups², although it is generally a solitary feeder^{2, 5}. Its moulting habits are little known, but some adults may go through a flightless moult period after breeding³. Habitat The species shows a preference for still, shallow, inland freshwater and alkaline lakes and slow-flowing rivers fringed with reeds and trees^{1, 2, 5}. It may also occur in swamps^{1, 5}, reservoirs^{1, 3, 5}, river oxbows⁵ and forested streams^2, typically avoiding marine habitats³ but occasionally foraging inmangrove swamps¹, estuaries^{1, 2, 3, 5}, shallow tidal inlets^{1, 2} and coastal lagoons^{1, 2, 3}. It generally avoids fast-flowing rivers, areas with dense floating vegetation³, and narrow, steep-banked or seasonally drained habitats⁵, preferring to feed in water 1-3 m deep (up to 6 m)³ with forested margins or scattered emergent trees and islets with dense vegetation¹. The species requires trees, bushes or reedbeds for roosting², and prefers dead trees, rocks or banks to rest on after feeding³. Diet Its diet consists mainly of fish such as Cichlidae and Cyprinidae¹, although it will also take amphibians, water snakes, terrapins, aquatic insects, crustaceans and molluscs¹. Breeding site The species nests in mixed-species colonies^{1, 2}, each pair building a nest platform of sticks and other vegetation¹ in forks of trees or in reedbeds 1-6 m high² (often c.2 m )¹ over water or on islands³.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is persecuted in some areas of southern Africa because of its perceived (actually minimal) impact on trout and other recreational fish species³. In Burundi it is threatened by disturbance, exploitation at colonies³, destruction of habitats and environmental pollution⁴.

Major Threat(s):

This species is persecuted in some areas of southern Africa because of its perceived (actually minimal) impact on trout and other recreational fish species³. In Burundi it is threatened by disturbance, exploitation at colonies³, destruction of habitats and environmental pollution⁴.

Bibliography [top]

	Brown, L. H.; Urban, E. K.; Newman, K. 1982. The birds of Africa vol I. Academic Press, London. del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Hockey, P. A. R.; Dean, W. R. J.; Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts birds of southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. Johnsgard, P. A. 1993. Cormorants, darters, and pelicans of the world. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. Ntahuga, L. 2000. Impact of African traditions on avian conservation in Burundi. Ostrich 71(1&2): 21.

Brown, L. H.; Urban, E. K.; Newman, K. 1982. The birds of Africa vol I. Academic Press, London.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Hockey, P. A. R.; Dean, W. R. J.; Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts birds of southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa.

Johnsgard, P. A. 1993. Cormorants, darters, and pelicans of the world. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.

Ntahuga, L. 2000. Impact of African traditions on avian conservation in Burundi. Ostrich 71(1&2): 21.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Anhinga rufa. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012.
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