Large mostly black water bird. Head large and blocky. Long and sturdy bill with hooked tip. Dark feet; relatively short, square tail. Breeding adults mostly black. Sides of head have white plumes. Yellow (bare skin) gular pouch is bordered by white throat feathering. Upper parts somewhat glossy, with a brownish tinge and a scaly pattern; flanks have small white patch. Basic adults lack head plumes and have smaller white throat patch. Juveniles dark brown above and near-black crown. Face, neck, and breast are gray, belly is white; facial skin is yellowish. Double-crested Cormorants are smaller overall with a more slender head, neck, and bill.

Length: 91 (cm) Wingspan: 160 (cm)

Voice:

Mostly silent. At breeding colonies, gives grating grut gruta grut, or kurrt kurrt kurrt.

Habitat:

Coastal areas. Nests on rocky plateaus, ledges, or cliffs.

Behavior:

Spots prey from surface, then tucks in wings and propels through water with strong, webbed feet. Sits and stretches wings out to dry.

Feeding:

Diet mostly consists of fish; occasionally eats other aquatic species. Swallows fish whole; regurgitates bones and scales later.