Double-crested cormorant

Home/Birds/Double-crested cormorant

Project Description

Double-Crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

 

Range/Geographical Distribution: Breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Mexico and in the Bahamas. Winters along the coasts from the Bahamas to New England.

Habitat: Lakes, rivers, swamps, and coasts. 

Similar Species:  Anhinga. 

Description:  A duck-like bird with a dark body, black bill and legs, and an orange pouch on its throat. Immature birds are brownish with a pale throat and chest. 

Size: Length: 27-35” Wingspan: 45-48” Weight: 1200-2500g

Food: Fish as well as other aquatic animals, insects, and amphibians. Dives into the water to catch fish.

Breeding:  Lays three to five pale blue/green eggs on a platform of sticks or seaweed placed in a tree or on a cliff. Nest in colonies.

Predators:  Predators of cormorant eggs include crows, gulls, grackles, blue jays, and raccoons. Adults are preyed upon by owls and eagles.

Conservation Status: Cormorant populations decreased due to pesticide poisoning in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. They were listed as a species of concern in 1972 but recovered quickly. The cormorant is now listed as least concern by the IUCN.

Interesting Facts: The doubled-crested cormorant uses a wide variety of materials to build its nest including trash, rope, deflated balloons, and even parts of dead birds.

On the Coast: Double-crested cormorants can be seen swimming through waterways catching fish along Georgia’s coast. After its ‘swim,’ it will perch with its wings out, drying itself in the sun.

Project Details

Categories:

help desk software