Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested cormorants are found through out much of North America. They are usually found in fresh or salt water habitats where they hunt fish by diving under the water. They are great swimmers, partially because they do not produce preening oils like most other waterfowl. These oils help birds like geese and ducks keep their feathers waterproof. With out these oils the cormorants feathers can get wet, which makes them less buoyant. Having less buoyancy helps them swim better underwater than many other species of waterfowl. Unfortunately it means that they have to dry themselves off by holding their wings out in the sun in order to make themselves light enough to fly. In most places that I have traveled cormorants are quite skittish but things are quite different in south Florida. It was not uncommon to see cormorants perched on the boardwalk rails at locations like Green Cay Nature Center.