Double Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
Identifying Characteristics •Large waterbird with a weight of 1.2-2.5 kg and a wingspan of 114-123 cm. •Stocky bird with a medium sized tail. •Adults are black while the juvenile are brown or gray. •Has orange hooked beak, webbed feet, teal eyes, and has orange skin on its face. •Males and females do not have sexual dimorphism.
Habitat
The double crested cormorant can be found all over North America from Alaska to Mexico. In the summer it lives in the north. When it gets cold, the cormorant flies south for the winter. It lives year round in Florida and the Caribbean. In the Everglades, they are found on the coasts and and also found near water.
Food The double crested cormorant mainly eats fish. To catch the fish, it dives into the water and uses it beak to jab at the fish like a spear. It can also eat crayfish and insects.
Fun Facts Reproduction The double crested cormorant breeds around different bodies of water (lakes, rivers, coastlines). It builds its nests mostly out of sticks. These nests sit on top of tall trees or on islands. The cormorant lays about 3-4 eggs. These eggs are blueish-white. When these eggs hatch, the babies will only be with their parents for about ten weeks. They will be fed by both the mother and the father.
This cormorant has many nicknames. Some include the sea cow, the white crested cormorant, the water buzzard, and the Taunton Turkey. This bird can be mistaken for the anhinga. The main difference between the two is the beak shape. The anhinga has a pointed beak while the cormorant has a hooked beak. The anhinga also has longer tails than the cormorant. The most interesting fact about the cormorant is its crests. These crests grow during mating season, They could be either white or black. This is the reason why it is called the double crested cormorant.