Cormorant , Phalacrocorax carbo - a photo on Flickriver

The Cormorant is a large, black waterbird whose size and colour make it very visible. With a reptilian neck, it has an almost prehistoric appearance. It is often seen standing with its wings held out to dry. Cormorants are supreme fishers which can bring them into conflict with fisherman and has seen them persecuted in the past. The UK holds internationally significant wintering numbers of cormorants

These familiar fish-eating waterbirds are a common sight on both inland freshwater and along our coasts. The similarly looking, sea-faring Shag can confuse some of the most experienced birders on a coastal cliff. In the breeding season, Cormorants have white patches near the base of their beaks and on their thighs. They’re also a stockier bird than the slender Shag – the latter also sports a mohican-like crest during breeding season.

Cormorants feed on fish. Often hunting in groups, they catch prey with long hooked bills when underwater. They take a little leap before diving and swim low in the water with their heads tipped up.
Did you know that communities historically used cormorants to fish? With a ring fitted loosely around their necks to stop them from swallowing larger fish, anglers could take advantage of the cormorant's highly effective skills.

Cormorants breed in colonies, sometimes building their nests on the ground. When courting, the male cormorant waves his long neck while the female bends her neck over her back.
They lay one brood a year of two to four chalky blue eggs in mid-to-late February. Both parents incubate the eggs. Most chicks leave the nest after five weeks, but nearly half might die in their first year of starvation and exhaustion.

Read more at www.wildonline.blog

Taken in: UK / England / Haydon Wick (show map)

Taken on: November 2, 2025

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Camera: Canon EOS R5m2, f/2.8, 1/800 sec, 400mm, ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS R5m2
Lens:	Canon RF400mm F2.8 L IS USM
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/800)
Focal Length:	400mm
ISO:	640
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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