“By not choosing any generalized name of a common bird which is already known (like Eagle, Woodpecker), we thought to use this opportunity to introduce a new name to people. We wanted to select a bird which is bigger in size, charismatic, fairly common, easily identifiable, threatened (or near-threatened) and the one which has good distribution in many parts of the district. After analyzing all the species recorded in Salem district, the ORIENTAL DARTER Anhinga melanogaster fits perfectly in the above criteria. It was quite a task to select the species. On a lighter note, the shape of the neck resembles ‘S’ and we took it like S for Salem. It is also a favorite bird for many of us.” –Team SOF.