CORMORANTS Family Phalacrocoracidae 

 CORMORANT 



119. Phalacrocorax car&o. 36 in. 



Largest of our cormorants; tail with 14 feathers. 

 Adults with glossy black head, neck and underparts; 

 in breeding season with white plumes on the neck and 

 a white patch on. the flanks. Young with throat and 

 belly white, rest of underparts mixed brown with black. 

 Cormorants feed chiefly upon fish which they pursue 

 and catch under water. They were formerly extensively, 

 and are now to a less extent, used by the Chinese to 

 catch fish for them, a ring being placed around their 

 neck to prevent their swallowing their prey. 



Nest. Made of seaweed and sticks on narrow ledges 

 of rocky islets or sea cliffs, this species being entirely 

 maritime. The four eggs are greenish-white, covered 

 with a chalky deposit. (2.50x1.40). 



Range. Breeds from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland 

 north to Labrador and Greenland; winters south to the 

 middle states. 



