Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum — Wikipedia · Photos by Andy Harner
A dark diving waterbird with a long neck and hooked bill. Cormorants often perch with wings spread to dry — their feathers are less waterproof than ducks’. This harbor frame shows cormorants and gulls on a float beside a sea lion on a buoy.
Field ID notes
- Mostly black; orange-yellow throat patch in adults
- Hooked tip on the bill; long neck held out in flight
- Common on coasts, lakes, and harbor structures