Why do cormorants and Anhingas spread their wings?

Have you ever seen a cormorant or Anhinga spread their wings? They do so because they do not have waterproofing oils in their wings, which enables them to dive deeper to catch fish. However, since they get completely soaked in the water, they cannot fly and thus need to spend a few hours or minutes (depending on heat and wind) drying themselves on an open perch.

%d bloggers like this: