Double-crested Cormorant

Late last summer this seemed to be a favorite perching spot for this Double-crested Cormorant; I'm pretty sure I saw it there on a few different days at Duke Farms' Vista Lake.

A lot of times you'll see them on perches like this with their wings held open. This is because their feathers aren't all that waterproof - they don't produce waterproofing oils like ducks/geese - they need to dry their wings off after a good swim.

And they are skilled swimmers, probably being the deepest diving birds in my area. This is aided by their large webbed feet that you can see in the picture.

It sounds like Double-crested Cormorants are one species seeing a population upswing, though this is partly because of something we've stopped using. It's believed that these birds were some of the ones being hurt by our use of DDT. (I know Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons were similarly affected.)

August 31, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 229849056, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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