Types
The six types of cormorants found in North America are the double-crested cormorant, the neotropic cormorant, the Brandt's cormorant, the red-faced cormorant, the great cormorant and the pelagic cormorant.
Geography
The double-crested cormorant is by far the most prolific of these water birds. They have been found south from Alaska, across Canada, throughout the U.S., and into Mexico and the Caribbean.
Size
The typical cormorant has a long neck and elongated body with a hooked bill; the double-crested cormorant has a wingspan of up to 4 feet.
Significance
Unlike other waterfowl, such as ducks and geese, the cormorant lacks oily feathers that make the bird waterproof; so cormorants are often seen with their wings outstretched as they dry them.
Diet
Fish make up the bulk of a cormorant's diet. The birds will dive under the water and pursue fish, capturing them with their hooked bills.
Expert Insight
The nest of the cormorant can be in a tree, on a cliff or on the ground. It is constructed of sticks as well as any other available materials the cormorant has access to, such as plastic, rope and even parts of dead birds.
