I passed by one Anhinga perched in a Mangrove as I was looking for ducks.
Then I heard a splash.
I did not see where the second Anhinga came from–he might have been swimming by.
I don’t recall hearing any noises from the birds, but they sure moved a lot of water.
At one point they were both underwater, emerging with their necks entwined.
Their full wing spans, typically 40 inches / 109 cm, were on display.
In less than 30 seconds it was over, at least for a drying off period.
Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island, FL
February 25, 2026
Interesting. I’ve never seen that behavior.
Me either. I kept expecting to see blood in the water, but they appeared unscathed.
Oh my. That was quite the sparring session. Looks like maybe a mature bird was chasing an immature bird out of his territory?
Neither bird had apparent breeding colors around the eyes, so they both might have been immatures. I’m not sure if one of them actually “won” or if they both just got tired. It’s got to be a lot of work flapping in the water like that.
Amazing action serie!
Thank you, Hans!