I saw this ugly thing this afternoon.
After some in-depth search (I aske in Facebook if anybody had seen this animal before) I found out it is called Anhinga, also called devil bird, the snake bird or water turkey.
I checked some other pictures of anhingas and they don’t look that bad. In fact most of them look spiffy, smooth and come in two-tones. This one looks like it just got up from bed and has not been to the hairdresser in months. Actually looks like a junkie of sorts.
Meth, not even once 😀
Anhingas don’t have waterproof feathers like those of most other diving birds. After a bit of swimming and diving, they have to dry out for a while. When you see them sitting, you often see them with their wings partly spread. This one had pushed it to the limit, I guess.
That’s good to know. Thanks!
Miguel, what did it taste like, cross between fish and chicken? It appears to be a type of cormorant, and yes, they usually dry their feathers and warm up between dives.
The descriptive comment, like a shag on a rock, is one often applicable to a gormless teenager, for example, standing in people’s way, arms akimbo.