Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum (Lesson, RP, 1831)

1.8 kgWeight

The double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) is a member of the cormorant family of water birds.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Double-crested Cormorant has been recorded at 882 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 19 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Parker River NWRUnited States25,638 records
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States25,491 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States19,020 records

More places

Point Pelee National ParkCanada18,826 records
Fort De Soto ParkUnited States17,997 records
Central ParkUnited States17,554 records
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States17,317 records
Tommy Thompson ParkCanada15,374 records
Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States14,490 records
Magee Marsh – BoardwalkUnited States14,454 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Mexico Belize Bahamas Cuba Bermuda Cayman Islands

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. Measuring 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length, it is entirely black except for a bare patch of orange-yellow facial skin and some extra plumage that it exhibits in the breeding season when it grows a double crest in which black feathers are mingled with white.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Double-crested Cormorant?

The Double-crested Cormorant weighs around 1.8 kg.

Where does the Double-crested Cormorant live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: widespread coastal and inland temperate and subtropical North America from eastern Aleutian Islands and Gulf of St. Lawrence to southern Baja California, Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and Bahamas. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Double-crested Cormorant?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

What does the Double-crested Cormorant eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Double-crested Cormorant in?

It belongs to the family Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae), order Suliformes.

At a glance

Weight: 1.8 kg
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Partial migrant

More measurements

Wing: 312 mm
Tail: 154 mm
Bill: 68 mm
Tarsus: 64 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Middle America: widespread coastal and inland temperate and subtropical North America from eastern Aleutian Islands and Gulf of St. Lawrence to southern Baja California, Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and Bahamas

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2