Cormorants are slender diving waterbirds with a distinctive shape and set of habits. While there are many cormorant species that live in North America, there are only two that can typically be found in New York, with one being extremely abundant and the other being quite rare. Here is everything you need to know about these three species.

Double-crested Cormorant

Identification

Adult Double-crested Cormorants have a dark brown to black head, neck, back, underside and wings. Juveniles will be lighter brown in color with a lighter throat and underside. Both adults and juveniles have orange by the eyes and base of the bill as well as a turquoise colored eye. Breeding adult birds have two tufts on their head that can sometimes be hard to see, but these crests are what this species is named for.

Range

Double-crested Cormorants live year round along the Pacific Coast of North America from Northwestern Mexico all the way up to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. They also live year round in parts of Florida. This species winters in in the Southeastern United States and Northeastern Mexico. In spring, they move into the Northern United States and Southern Canada where they can be seen migrating in large flocks.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Double-crested Cormorants primarily eat fish which they catch by hunting them underwater. They will also eat other aquatic creature such as crustaceans and amphibians.

Where to Find This Bird

Double-crested Cormorants can be found in a variety of places with all of them usually being near bodies of water. Look for this species in trees lining lakes and ponds as well as in marshes. Often times, Double-crested Cormorants will congregate in large groups on islands or other places with adequate perches as they dry their wings and survey for prey.

Great Cormorant

Identification

Great Cormorants are larger than other Eastern Cormorant species. They look different depending on the region with some subspecies having more white on their head and neck. The birds in Eastern North America are glossy dark brown to black with white on their flanks and throat. They also have an orangey colored gular patch. Birds in nonbreeding plumage are a chocolatey brown color.

Range

Great Cormorants are extremely wide spread with the species being found in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. In North America they reside on the East Coast from Southeastern Canada all the way south to Florida and even the Gulf Coast.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Great Cormorants are specialists at hunting for and eating fish. They are known to specialize in bottom dwelling fish that they pull from crevices in rocks. They typically forage in shallower water under 50 feet in depth.

Where to Find This Bird

In the United States, look for Great Cormorants on rocky coasts in the states along the Atlantic Ocean. In particular, the more Northern States in New England are some of the places this species is most common.

Neotropic Cormorant (Uncommon)

Identification

Neotropic Cormorants are small members of the cormorant family. Adult birds are a shiny black color with white feathers on their head, back, and wings. They have a white triangle on the base of the bill known as a gular. Neotropic Cormorants have yellowish orange on the base of the bill and a turquoise colored eye. Juveniles are lighter in color overall, sporting brown coloration instead of black.

Range

Neotropic Cormorants live year-round in South America, Central America, much of Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. While much of the population is not migratory, some birds move north in spring and have a habit of turning up north of their normal range.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Neotropic Cormorants eat mostly fish, but will also consume insects, crustaceans, and amphibians. These birds are sight feeders and search for prey underwater where their streamlined bodies make them adept swimmers.

Where to Find This Bird

Neotropic Cormorants live in a wide variety of places including inland lakes, saltmarshes, and along ocean coastlines. They can often be seen perched in branches and other structures near water keeping watch for food.

In New York, Neotropic Cormorants are very rare visitors and only show up sporadically. They can sometimes be found in marshes, near ponds, or along the shores of the Great Lakes. Keep an eye on large flocks of Double-crested Cormorants for a smaller looking cormorant.

For information on how to differentiate a Double-crested Cormorant from a Neotropic Cormorant click here to read an article on the subject or check out the video below.

Birds that are Similar to Cormorants

There is one North American bird species that technically is not a cormorant, but is similar enough to include it on the list.

Anhinga (Rare)

Identification

Anhingas look extremely similar to cormorants with a long snake-like neck and a long pointed bill. They have longer tails than most cormorant species and show white on their wings. Overall, Anhingas are dark colored with dark brown to black bodies and lighter colored necks.

Range

Anhingas are year-round residents of the northern half of South America, the coasts of Central America and Mexico, and the southeastern coast of the continental United States. In summer, they move farther north and have a tendency to move pretty far north into the eastern United States.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Anhingas primarily feed on fish which they actively hunt for underwater and spear with their sharp, pointed bill. They will also eat crustaceans and other small invertebrates.

Where to Find This Bird

Anhingas can be found in areas with slow moving freshwater such as marshes, bayous, and general wetlands. Look for them drying their wings on perches or swimming in the water, sitting low mostly with just their head and neck above the waters surface.

Summary

Cormorants are unique, lanky birds that are a common sight near the water. Knowing the habits, range, and key identification features of each of these species can be incredibly useful in knowing what to look for in the field.

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