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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Anhingidae
  4. ›
  5. Anhinga
  6. ›
  7. Australasian Darter
Australasian Darter
Photo · (c) Thomas Jaeger, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Australasian Darter

Anhinga novaehollandiae(Gould, 1847)

Updated 11 June 2026

Also known asMarranggiGullun-gullun

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native
Order
SULIFORMES
Family
Anhingidae
Genus
Anhinga

At a glance

The Australasian Darter is a very large bird, about 86–94 cm long, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
86–94 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does an Australasian Darter look like?

The Australasian Darter is a very large bird, about 86–94 cm long and weighing 900–2600 g.

The Australasian Darter or Australian Darter is a species of bird in the darter family, Anhingidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It weighs around 1.3–2.1 kg and spans 85–97 cm in length.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
86–94 cm
Weight
900–2600 g
Wingspan
116 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see an Australasian Darter?

The Australasian Darter is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

04 · Voice

What it sounds like

Call

Jonathan Mills-Anderson · Brisbane QLD, Australia

Call

Jeremy James · Perry Bridge VIC 3862, Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does an Australasian Darter eat?

The Australasian Darter feeds on fish/invertebrates, usually foraging alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Australasian Darter live in Australia?

The Australasian Darter is native to Australia, recorded across 80 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingTimor (east Lesser Sundas), New Guinea, and Australia

Non-breedingTo Moluccas

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Breeding

8 regions recorded