Kerala Government declares June 22 as 'Snake Bird Day'

June 23, 2015

Kerala Government has declared June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’ in a bid to protect the endangered species which is also known as Indian darter.
The formal announcement was made by State minister for forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan at a function organised by Snake Bird Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram.

About Snake Bird

It is water bird which is also known as Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster).
It has slender long-neck which is mostly black in colour with silver wing markings.
Conservation Status: As per IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Snake Bird is classified as Near Threatened species.
Threat: Its population is moderately declining owing anthropogenic reasons like pollution, drainage, hunting and the collection of eggs and nestlings.
Found in: Tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It inhabits in shallow inland wetlands including rivers, lakes, swamps and reservoirs.
In case of India there are over 1500 snake birds in which majority are found in Kerala.
These species usually nests atop tall trees near wetlands. They are largely found in Kottayam, Alappuzha, Wayanad Idukki and Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala.