Double Crested Cormorant?
by Oksana Pakhlavuni
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
What is this bird?
It was a relatively big bird, smaller than a Canadian Goose, but much bigger then Loon.
It is black with a big body and small round head on a long neck, there are tufts or 'ears' which are very noticeable.
The beak was flat with a hook at the end and the appearance of the bird is actually scary!
It was diving and staying under the water for a very long time.
I tried to identify the bird on-line, however, I could not find anything similar to it.
Would you please let me know what this bird could be. Thank you
Thank you for your picture and interesting story Oksana - I am pretty sure the bird you saw was a Double Crested Cormorant.
According to the MNR, the Double-Crested Cormorant is the only Cormorant species found in the Great Lakes region. It is a medium to large (typical length 70 – 90 cm, body mass 1.2 – 2.5 kg) greenish-black coloured water bird.
The bill is long (5-8 cm), slender and hooked at the end. The bird has brilliant turquoise eyes, a golden throat patch, and a cobalt-blue mouth for a short time prior to and during the breeding season.
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