Phalacrocorax carbo - Great Cormorant
Feather characters. Barbules are from short until medium length (0.7-1.3 mm) and are not, or only slightly pigmented. Occasionally some lightly stippled pigment is seen. Borders between cells are visible, but hardly swollen and thus too small to qualify as nodes. These nodal structures (10-17 per mm) have about the same size along the entire length of the barbules, only slightly decreasing towards the tip. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Prongs are mostly located on distal end of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. Their length varies but the longest prongs may reach a length between half and the entire length of the adjacent internode.
Field characters. Size 80-100 cm. Weight: male 2283 g (1975-2687), female1936 g (1673-2174) (Dunning, 1993). A large, blackish waterbird with white chin and cheeks; in breeding plumage, white thigh-patch and variable hoary or white cast to head and neck due to scattered white hair-like plumes. May resemble Shag in winter plumage, but larger, with different head shape, larger yellow bare parts around eye, and heavier bill. Swims low with neck erect and bill inclined upwards. When perched, birds stand often in characteristic erect attitude with wings half spread out. Upperparts of juvenile brownish, underparts dull white. Immatures gradually darker with each moult.
Voice. When breeding a deep, guttural "karrk".
Distribution. Locally common breeding bird, sometimes in large colonies; regularly shifts colonies due to degrading of nesting trees. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Aquatic, in both fresh and salt waters: open and sheltered shallow seas, lakes, reservoirs, lagoons, swamps, deltas and estuaries. Builds nest in trees, on cliff ledges, or in reedbeds.
Food. Exclusively fish, caught during day-time by surface dives (depths 1-9 m). Prey usually brought to surface before swallowing. May travel up to 50 km to a favoured fishing area.