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655 Featured Specimen
Double-crested cormorant

Details

Double-crested cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

Size
70–90 cm · 1.2–2.5 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Herd
Lifespan

A common dark cormorant of North American lakes and coasts, named for the paired head plumes of breeding adults.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
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Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Uses lakes, rivers, reservoirs, estuaries, and coasts, roosting in groups on islands, rocks, trees, and structures.

Appearance

The body is dark brown to black with a long neck and hooked bill. Breeding birds show orange facial skin and short crests.

Behavior

It dives underwater after fish and often rests with wings spread to dry.

Feeding

Fish dominate the diet, with crustaceans and amphibians also taken. Birds may feed alone or in groups.

Reproduction

Colonies nest on islands or waterside trees. Stick-and-plant nests hold chicks fed by regurgitated fish.

Notes

It sometimes conflicts with fisheries, but it is also a native predator with an important role in aquatic ecosystems.