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Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) Alternate name(s): "Snake-necked Darter", "Diver*", "Snake-bird", "Shag*" Aboriginal name(s): Race "novaehollandiae": "koorowera", "marbangye"; "mimal" (WA) Size: 85-90 cm; wing span 1.2 m Body mass: 1.05-1.35 kg Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.75-0.85

Australia: Family Group 4 Family Group 4 Table Australian Pelican Red-tailed Tropicbird White-tailed Tropicbird Great Frigatebird Lesser Frigatebird Australasian Gannet Masked Booby Red-footed Booby Brown Booby Darter Great Cormorant Little Black Cormorant Little Pied Cormorant Pied Cormorant Black-faced Cormorant Imperial Shag Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Australasian Darters are big, slender aquatic birds with long necks and long tails. They are dimorphic, i.e. males and females have different plumages. Male Australasian Darters have black bodies and tails, and a dark-chestnut throat. A white eye stripe extends partway down the neck. The upperwings are scalloped black-and-silver. Female Australasian Darters have a creamy front, creamy-brown back and scalloped black-and-silver wings. The tail is black. The underwing plumage of both sexes is black, the bill is yellow, and the legs and webbed feet are pinkish-grey. Juvenile Australasian Darters resemble females, but their backs are only a shade darker than the front.

Taxonomy, classification See Australasian Darter at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The Australasian Darter was previously considered to be conspecific with the Oriental Darter, Anhinga melanogaster .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Australasian Darter is available HERE . Australasian Darters populate parts of Australia, New Guinea and eastern Indonesia. Australasian Darters inhabit basically the coastal fringe around Australia, including the East coast of Tasmania, and the northern tropics, plus roughly the eastern half of the continent. They are only rarely found in the southern half of the NT and not at all in the major deserts of WA and the western half of SA, including the Nullarbor. Australasian Darters are found mostly in fresh water aquatic habitats, such as rivers and creeks, lakes and swamps. They can also be sighted in estuarine habitats, but only rarely in pure (marine) salt water. Where to look? How to find this species? Australasian Darters are most easily found while drying their plumage with extended wings, sitting on (often dead) branches near water or overhanging water. Since they often hunt in standing water near tree-lined edges, they tend to be found sitting in trees around permanent waterholes in rivers and creeks and lakes. While hunting in the water, they have a snake-like appearance, lying low in the water with their prominent long, thin necks.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We first found Australasian Darters in various locations in the Top End of the Northern Territory in October 1997. They are, e.g., found regularly at Yellow Water, Kakadu NP, NT. In the area of Narrabri, NSW, Australasian Darters are common and widespread and we have spotted Australasian Darters in various types of wetlands since 2005. During the 2000-2010 drought they were few and far between, but since then their numbers have increased and they can now be seen regularly on most inland waters, including e.g. Narrabri Lake. After years of severe drought, V. Collinsfound Australasian Darters at Narrabri Lakeagain in May 2021. In addition, we have seen Australasian Darters in various places around Australia, such as wetlands in the Top End of the NT, and on the Greenough River near Geraldton, WA. They have also been found by us, and reported by various contributors, from coastal areas in QLD. S. Kirkby reports spotting Australasian Darters near Kakadu NP, NT, in June 2011. J. Greaves reports spotting Australasian Darters in Manjimup, WA, in March 2015 and on the banks of the Murchison River, near Ajana, WA, in May 2018. Several contributors report finding Australasian Darters along the Australian eastern seaboard semi-regularly, along the coastlines of both NSW and QLD. Towards the southern end of their range, Australasian Darters have been reported to us, e.g., by R. Plumtree in East Gippsland, VIC, in May 2015. M. Mearns reports finding Australasian Darters at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, in September 2019. C. Pears found an Australasian Darter at Quindalup, WA, in May 2021, where in general they are found only occasionally. In March 2022, about 10 Australasian Darters were found at Lake Monger, Perth, WA, several of which were juvenile/immature. The species is also present at Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, when there is water in the lake. An Australasian Darter was also found by C. Pears on the coast at Broome, WA, in June 2025. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found an Australasian Darter at Lake Barrine, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, in July 2019.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
The male Australasian Darter's front (not only the head and neck shown here), left, is much darker than the female's.

Close-up near-lateral/dorsal view of a pair of Australasian Darters, male on the right (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, April 2026]

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Australasian Darter studying the observer
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, February 2024]

Close-up frontal view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage; note the completely webbed toes, including the hind toe (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, February 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Australasian Darter studying the observer
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, February 2024]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Australasian Darter
[Pilliga Wetlands Walk, NSW, February 2024]

Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a male Australasian Darter
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2011]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Australasian Darter in eastern Australia (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2013]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Australasian Darter in western Australia (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Murchison River, near Ajana, WA, May 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

Lateral view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2010]

Lateral view of a male Australasian Darter swimming after a dive
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2010]

Lateral view of a male Australasian Darter showing clearly its completely webbed feet (photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2014]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter looking back at the observer
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2011]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter basking in the sun
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lake Barrine, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, July 2019]

Close-up dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston Golf Course, Palmerston, NT, December 2020]

Dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Robina, Gold Coast, QLD, May 2015]

Dorsal view of two male Australasian Darters, both looking sideways (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2021]

Frontal view of a male Australasian Darter in flight (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral profile of a "rocket" - male Australasian Darter in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2010]

Dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter in flight; note the rufous streaking on the wing coverts (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2013]

Dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter in flight; different phase of the wing beat (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, December 2013]

Ventral view of a male Australasian Darter in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2010]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cuttaburra Crossing, near Bedourie, QLD, August 2025]

Close-up frontal view of a female Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, July 2017]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Australasian Darter drying its plumage
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, September 2016]

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a female Australasian Darter drying its plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Close-up lateral view of a female Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Australasian Darter looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

Close-up dorsal view of a female Australasian Darter looking sideways (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, January 2026]

Close-up dorsal view of a preening female Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, January 2026]

Close-up dorsal view of a female Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, January 2026]

Lateral view of a female Australasian Darter in flight; note the pronounced kink of the neck
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2012]

Ventral view of a female Australasian Darter in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature Australasian Darter; much of the plumage has already turned dark, but the head/neck and wing coverts are still juvenile feathers (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Postman's Track, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, November 2019]

Close-up lateral view of a sub-adult male Australasian Darter; most of the plumage is adult, but the bird is still shedding downy feathers from its upperwing (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Heirisson Island, Perth, WA, May 2026]

4 immature Australasian Darters in various plumages (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, March 2022]

Frontal view of an immature male Australasian Darter starting to moult (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Monger, Perth, WA, March 2022]

Close-up dorsal view of an immature male Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cuttaburra Crossing, near Bedourie, QLD, August 2025]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Australasian Darter with a Little Black Cormorant
[Pilliga Lagoon, near Pilliga, NSW, February 2024]

Close-up near-lateral view of a juvenile Australasian Darter studying the observer
[Pilliga Lagoon, near Pilliga, NSW, February 2024]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Australasian Darter drying its feathers (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Brisbane River, Brisbane, QLD, June 2006]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Australasian Darter studying the observer
[Pilliga Lagoon, near Pilliga, NSW, March 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Australasian Darter (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Kingaroy, QLD, October 2015]

Lateral view of a juvenile Australasian Darter preparing for touchdown
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Near-dorsal view of an Australasian Darter in complete wing moult (photo courtesy of S. Kirkby)

Fledgling Australasian Darter - note the growth of the wing feathers in comparison with photos taken 2 weeks earlier, in May 2018, shown below (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2018]

Fledgling Australasian Darter - note the growth of the wing feathers in comparison with photos taken 2 weeks later, in June 2018, shown above (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, May 2018]

Fledgling Australasian Darter resting by the edge of an ephemeral wetland; this bird may have left its nest early, or fallen out, because it is still retaining downy feathers on its neck
[Near Pilliga, NSW, March 2022]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jan - Dec

Eggs: 2 - 6

Incubation period: ca. 28 days

Fledging age: ca. 50 days

Darters have erratic breeding habits. Given the right conditions, they can in principle breed any time of year, with a preference for the timeframe Aug - Dec in the southern part of the continent and Feb - Apr in the tropical North. Especially inland the breeding cycle will adapt to local water levels.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Pair of Australasian Darters posturing in preparation for mating (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, April 2026]

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, leaves

Height above ground: 3 - 20(?) m

Three tall Australasian Darter chicks in their nest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, June 2017]

Four tall Australasian Darter chicks in their nest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, May 2018]

Two tall Australasian Darter chicks in their nest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, May 2018]

Male Australasian Darter on its nest with chicks
[Pilliga, NSW, December 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a female Australasian Darter on its nest
[Pilliga, NSW, February 2025]

Example of Australasian Darters nesting in a loose colony with other species, in this case Little Pied Cormorants
(photo courtesy of D. Albertson, LTIM Gwydir Wetlands)
[Gwydir Wetlands, 50 km West of Moree, NSW, February 2015]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 58 x 37 mm

Colour: Creamy, with chalky coating

Shape: Long elliptical

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial?

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary

Australasian Darters, after hunting under water, are one of the bird species that can regularly be seen drying their plumage on a perch in bright sunlight. There is a separate page describing Australasian Darters in full wing moult.

Dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter drying its plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2013]

Australasian Darters and Little Pied Cormorants drying their plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Road Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, September 2017]

When excited, e.g. when wary of a human observer, male Australasian Darters will display their hackles.

Near-dorsal view of a male Australasian Darter issuing a warning when disturbed while drying its plumage; this is the bird whose faint clicking calls were recorded on 3 December 2015
[Mudgee, NSW, December 2015]

This immature Australasian Darter was found by us on a rockface by the sea
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Male Australasian Darter diving off its perch (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, April 2025]

Food, Diet

Australasian Darters feed almost exclusively on fish. They spear their prey, rather than grabbing it like herons or egrets. They then thrust the prey upward and maneuvre it into the slender bill by turning it.

Lateral view of an Australasian Darter with its prey, a sizeable fish
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

It is hard to believe that a fish this size will fit into an Australasian Darter's bill... (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cuttaburra Crossing, near Bedourie, QLD, August 2025]

It appears that Australasian Darters also take other species' fluffy chicks!
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, January 2025]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

darter_20230227_2.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact call (male)	© MD
darter_20210613.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
darter_pb_20190925.m4a	(Darwin, NT)	Contact call (female)	© PB
darter_me_20250807.m4a	(SW QLD)	Neighbours claiming territories (+ Caspian Tern)	© ME
darter_me_20250809.m4a	(SW QLD)	Neighbours claiming territories (+ Whistling Kite)	© ME
darter_20230227_3.mp3	(NW NSW)	Warning calls (male)	© MD
darter_20230227.mp3	(NW NSW)	Arrival (male) - warning?	© MD
darter_20210613_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Female leaving perch, male arriving	© MD
darter_20210613_3.m4a	(NW NSW)	Male moving around on perch	© MD
darter_20230227_5.mp3	(NW NSW)	Begging calls (nestlings)	© MD
darter_20230227_4.mp3	(NW NSW)	Begging calls (nestlings) (+ Superb Fairy-wren)	© MD

More Australasian Darter sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.