

Young double-crested cormorants in nest. Cormorants are specialists that feed on fish 

 and have been increasing along the New England coast. (Photo by R.G. Schmidt; courtesy 

 of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.) 



capture by diving beneath the water's sur- 

 face. Double-crested cormorants are colo- 

 nial breeders, present in New England only 

 from April to November. They nest on rocky 

 islands, along the Maine and Massachusetts 

 coast, although they have been reported to 

 nest in trees at many locations in New 

 England (Drury 1973). An historical review 

 of the status of this species in New Eng- 

 land has been provided by Drury (1973). 

 After being completely extirpated on the 

 New England coast during the last century, 

 double-crested cormorants made a dramatic 

 comeback during the early part of the 

 1900's. Between 1925 and 1S45 the popula- 

 tion grew to about 13,000 nesting pairs 

 along the Kaine coast and since then, has 

 expanded its range along the New England 

 coast as far south as the entrance to Long 

 Island Sound (although the majority of 

 breeding pairs occurs north of boston, 

 Massachusetts). In the mid 1940's, Maine 

 fisherman declared this species a menace 



to the commercial fishery and an egg 

 spraying program was initiated by the U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service but was termi- 

 nated in 1953. Since then, the population 

 has continued to expand despite some indi- 

 cations that cormorants may have been 

 affected by toxic chemical poisoning 

 (Drury 1S74). 



As the double-crested cormorant 

 leaves the New England coast each year 

 during the fall migration, it is replaced 

 by the larger and more northerly breeding 

 great cormorant that is a winter resident. 

 Both species consume fish that they pursue 

 underwater. Double-crested cormorants 

 appear to be the least wary and maritime 

 of the two and frequently feed over tidal 

 flats at high tide but can pursue fish to 

 great depths. Feeding i;,ay occur solitar- 

 ily or in groups. Bartholomew (1942) 

 has reported observations of orderly 

 flock-feeding on San Francisco Bay. During 



62 



