Double Crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorants are part of a world-wide order of seabirds that includes pelicans, boobies, tropicbirds, and frigatebirds. They are members of the family Phalacrocoracidae and can be found throughout North America in both fresh water and marine habitats. Double-crested, Red-faced, and Pelagic cormorants are the only cormorants found in Alaska. Cormorants dive underwater and use their large webbed feet as paddles to swim in search of food. They eat a wide variety of foods, but fish that live close to the ocean floor are their favorites.
Unlike other seabirds, cormorants do not venture far from their nesting colony. They build tall, stacked nests out of whatever plant material they can find and are not above stealing it from one of their unsuspecting neighbors. Often, one bird of the pair will present a piece of grass or seaweed to its mate as a way of strengthening their bond.[1]
References
- ↑ USGS