Double-crested Cormorants

Here are a couple Double-crested Cormorants out for a swim. This is a bird I frequently see in the spring (Apr-May) and fall (Sept-Nov), and not the rest of the year; it looks like they mostly use my area as a resting spot during migration.

Though these cormorants are swimming on the surface, cormorants are known for diving beneath the water, usually in search of small fish. They lack the oily feathers of ducks, which may make them heavier and thus a little better at diving than ducks. On the down side, they do need to get out of the water to dry off periodically. It's not uncommon to see them standing out of the water with their wings spread out, trying to dry off faster.

April 28, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 128319260, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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