Anhinga
Anhinga has increased: up 48% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Anhinga
The Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) is a North American member of the Anhingas (Anhingidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 29.5–37.5 in long (75–95 cm) — a large waterbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 316 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 11 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Anhingidae · Wetland birds
Notable Anhinga Trends
No notable trend signals for Anhinga. See the full index history below.
Anhinga Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Anhinga is projected to rise about 53% by 2029 — from 0.06 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.08 (95% range 0.04–0.12). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±25.2%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
| 2026 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
| 2027 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
| 2028 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
| 2029 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
Where the Anhinga Is Detected
BBS routes recording Anhinga, sized by most recent count.
Anhinga Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +43% | 1978 | 19 |
| Arkansas | -66% | 1993 | 5 |
| Florida | -14% | 1968 | 95 |
| Georgia | -27% | 1968 | 54 |
| Louisiana | +160% | 1969 | 49 |
| Mississippi | 13× | 1973 | 20 |
| North Carolina | -23% | 1999 | 17 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Carolina | +128% | 1976 | 14 |
| Texas | -73% | 1970 | 40 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
Anhinga Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Oaks and Prairies | -37% | 1973 | 13 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -73% | 1969 | 30 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +682% | 1974 | 35 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +141% | 1968 | 140 |
| Peninsular Florida | -19% | 1968 | 71 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | -68% | 1970 | 22 |
Anhinga Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 48% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.