Cormorants is a familie, Phalacrocoracidae, represented by approximately 40 bird species which feed on fish by the coast and in watercourses. They are present on all continents, except central Pacific Islands.
Cormorants are midsize to large waterbirds which vary in size from Pygmy cormorant, Phalacrocorax pygmaeus, as small as 45 cm and 340 gram, and the non-airworthy Galapagos Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi, with maximum size at 100 cm and 5 kg bodyweight. The recently extinct Pallas's Cormorant, Phalacrocorax perspicillatus, could be even bigger, up to 6,3 kg. Most, including almost all on the northern hemisphere, have dark plumage, while some on the southern hemisphere are black and white, and some few, for instance Spotted Shag at New Zealand are colourful. Many species have a colored area on the skin of the face that can be light blue, orange, red or yellow, and usually this area will be clearer during the breeding season. The beak is long and thin, upper beak is curved down at the end. Cormorants have web between all four toes, as their relatives.
These are coastal birds to a greater extent than pelagic species, to some extent, cormorants have also colonized waterways, as for example Neotropic Cormorant in South America, indeed seems the original ancestor of cormorants have been a fresh water bird, assumptions based on the habitat of the oldest in the progress line. The distribution of this group is worldwide, but they have not colonized the central Pacific Islands.
All cormorant species feed on fish and small eels, and even on watersnakes. Many, species make it distinctive jumping motion from the surface before they dive. Under the surface they use their muscular feet as propulsion. Some species can go as deep as 45 meter..
While cormorants rests on shore, they often spread their wings in the sun. Studies show that this is because the dry their wings. All cormorants have gland secretion which they smear on their feathers.
Cormorants, broods in three, on small islands, or cliff walls. Eggs are colored in lightblue. Usually they have only one hatch a year. The parents regurgitate food for the children. The kids have deep clumsy beak that resembles more the beak of pelican nestlings than the beak of the adult. (source: Wikipedia)
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