Cormorants are often seen flying low over the water. (Paul Sullivan/Flickr)
The double-crested cormorant is a large, black water bird with a long, hooked bill. It lives year-round on the Chesapeake Bay’s shallow and open waters.
Appearance:
Large, black body
Long bill with a small hook at the end. The cormorant holds its bill tilted upward when swimming.
Orange chin patch that is squared and has no feathers
Long neck and tail
Young have a pale throat and chest with a brownish back and wings
Grows to 32 inches long with a wingspan of 52 inches
Habitat:
Lives along the coast and on islands, lakes and rivers
Often seen perched on rocks, piers and pilings with its wings spread in the air. It does this to dry its feathers and regulate its body temperature.
Range:
Found year-round throughout the Chesapeake Bay
Feeding:
Eats mostly small fish, but will also feed on aquatic invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans and amphibians
Dives underwater to capture its prey in its long, hooked bill
Adults eat an average of one pound of fish per day
Predators:
Gulls, crows, blue jays, raccoons, red foxes and coyotes prey on cormorant eggs and chicks
Flight:
Noticeable crook in neck while flying
Flies in lines or V-shaped formations, similar to geese
Often seen flying low over the water
Voice:
Almost entirely silent
Sometimes makes deep, pig-like grunts in the nesting colony
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Breeds mostly in the Great Lakes region and the Midwest into Canada
Nests in colonies with other cormorants
Other Facts:
Eyes are adapted to see both above and under the water
Can be confused with the common loon. You can distinguish a double-crested cormorant by its hooked bill, which it holds tilted upward.
The double-crested cormorant is the most abundant and widespread cormorant in North America. An estimated two million double-crested cormorants live in North America.
