Even More Cormorants

Besides the ones swimming around in yesterday's post, there were also a bunch of Double-crested Cormorants drying off and socializing at the lake at the Plainsboro Preserve. There were at least 7 of these guys out there, and they may all be migrating together north of here. For them, our ponds and lakes are like diners where they can catch a meal and rest up a bit. They may not live here, but having places like this are vital to surviving a long migration.

They're sharing a log with a turtle; larger turtles know they're too big for cormorants or herons to eat, and can sometimes be seen with birds that would no doubt eat baby turtles.

The closest relative to these guys that can be found in New Jersey is the Great Cormorant, a somewhat longer bird with substantially longer wings. The Great Cormorant generally likes the ocean though, and is unlikely to be found this far inland. Though other cormorants are found on other parts of the continent, the next closest relative are the Anhingas, though those birds rarely get this far north.

April 28, 2021 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 128319369, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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