A Gulp of Cormorants

This spring I met a gulp [1] of Double-crested Cormorants, presumably stopping at the Raritan River for a little rest and food [2]. (I mostly see them during migration season.)

Of the fish-eating birds I see the most, cormorants may be the most social. Other than parent/offspring groups, I rarely see herons, eagles, ospreys, or kingfishers hanging out together, but cormorants seem to enjoy each other's company.

One thing that stands out in my picture is that 1 of the cormorants is quite a bit paler than the others. I suspect that individual is a 1 or 2-year-old bird that hasn't gotten its breeding plumage yet; it apparently takes a variable amount of time to acquire true adult plumage.

April 20, 2023 at the Plainsboro Preserve
Photo 272672670, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Wikipedia also suggests a "flight of cormorants" as a collective name for these birds, though I suspect that collective name is shared with other flying animals.

[2] They are especially skilled at deep diving to catch fish swimming well below the surface.

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