Anhinga Mom and Three Chicks at Everglades National Park, Florida

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I photographed this Anhinga and her three chicks on the Anhinga Trail near the Royal Palm Visitor Center at Everglades National Park. The Anhinga Trail is a short, paved walkway and a boardwalk over a freshwater sawgrass marsh. Abundant wildlife is visible from the trail, including Alligators, Turtles, Anhingas, Cormorants, Black Vultures, Herons, Egrets, and other wading birds. It is one of the most popular trails in the park. On November 5, 1996, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. During January, when the picture was taken, the vegetation along the boardwalk section of the trail is dotted with Anhinga nests with chicks at various stages of development. Among Anhingas, one parent sits on the nest while the other is feeding. After a while, the feeding parent returns, and they switch places. The chicks quickly learn that an arriving parent means food and they start squawking and pecking at the parent beak. This causes the parent to open its beak wide and the chicks stick their heads down the parent's neck to get their food.

For more information on the Anhinga Trail please follow this link: Anhinga Trail

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