Double-crested Cormorant

Adults are mostly black with a coppery sheen on the wings and back. They feature a bare orange-yellow throat pouch and a small, double crest of black feathers behind the eyes during the breeding season. Juveniles are brownish-gray with paler underparts and a duller yellowish throat.

Large black body, hooked bill, bright orange-yellow throat pouch, and lack of white patches (unlike some other cormorant species).

Length: 70–90 cm (28–35 in), Wingspan: 114–123 cm (45–48 in), Weight: 1.2–2.5 kg (2.6–5.5 lbs).

Generally silent away from the breeding colony, but produces low-pitched, guttural grunts, groans, and croaks at nesting sites.

Primarily fish, supplemented occasionally by amphibians, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. Forages by diving from the surface and pursuing prey underwater.

Inland lakes, rivers, marshes, reservoirs, and coastal marine environments such as bays, estuaries, and sheltered offshore islands.

Migratory in northern parts of its range, moving to ice-free coastal and southern waters; resident in coastal areas and the southern US.

Breeds in colonies, often alongside other waterbirds. Nests are bulky platforms made of sticks, seaweed, and debris, placed on cliffs, in trees, or on the ground. Clutch size is typically 3 to 4 eggs, incubated by both parents.

Other cormorant species such as the Neotropic Cormorant, which is smaller with a more slender neck and a differently shaped throat pouch. Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants are found on the Pacific coast and have different facial coloration and crest structures.

Acts as an apex predator in many aquatic ecosystems, helping regulate fish populations and serving as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health.

Least Concern, with a stable or increasing population trend.

Look for them near coastlines, lakes, and rivers, frequently perched on docks, pilings, or rocks with their wings held open to dry.

Unlike most waterbirds, cormorants do not have fully waterproof feathers. This adaptation helps them reduce buoyancy when diving, but requires them to spend considerable time drying their wings in the sun after fishing.