Have You Spotted a Devil Bird in Louisiana?

SHREVEPORT, LA - Have you ever heard of the "devil bird"? I never knew that was the name of this bird you might see in the lakes and swamps around Louisiana. It is actually called the Anhinga when comes from a group of Indians in Brazil. The name means "evil spirit of the woods" or "devil bird".

You are most likely to see Anhingas swimming in shallow waters with just their head popping out of the water. I've seen them often on Caddo Lake in northwest Louisiana. You might spot them out on Lake Bistineau or on Toledo Bend.

The Devil Bird is typically found in warmer climates in South America and the Gulf Coast region of the United States.

But the long necked bird has now been spotted as far away as New York State. Experts with Allaboutbirds.com say the birds are moving to more northern states because of climate change.

Louisiana has quite a history with this bird. Birdnote.org says the oldest recorded Anhinga was at least 12 years old when it was shot in Louisiana in 1948.

The Audubon Society says when the Anhinga birds are not swimming, you might find them hanging out on the edges of ponds or lakes drying out. They also like to fly very high when they do take flight.

Some call this bird a "water turkey" because of its tail and long neck.

Is this a rare bird? Partners in Flight puts the population of the Anhinga at 2 million and rates them 9 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. This essentially means the bird is not in danger.