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Cormorant ID Challenge
The photo below offers a nice opportunity to hone your cormorant identification skills. Along the Pacific Coast, it is fairly common to see mixed groups cormorants in this type of light, where the finer details of plumage and skin color are not readily apparent. Such conditions can make cormorant identification challenging for experienced observers and nearly impossible for newer birders. However, if one studies the shape and proportions of these birds, they can typically be identified based on subtle but consistent differences in size and shape. Let's start by using letters of the alphabet to reference these birds from left to right, "A" being the left most bird and "I" being the right most bird. To avoid confusion on the two right hand birds, the lower bird will be "H" and the one behind and slightly to the right will be "I." By reading the caption and checking out the cormorant range maps in your field guide, you should be able to narrow the list of possibilities. These rocks are rarity-free, thus there are no Red-faced Cormorants in this picture.
This mixed groups of cormorants was photographed at Newport, Oregon on December 1, 2008. Photo taken by David Irons using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8.
I invite you to offer your identifications of these nine birds using the "comments" link that appears right below the title of this post. Feel free to share the clues you might have used in making your identifications. Remember, the goal is to exchange knowledge. We should avoid making cormorant identification seem like rocket science (it isn't). At the end of the weekend, I will tally up the responses and post the identity of these individuals along with a discussion of how to tell them apart based on shape.
From left to right: Brandt’s, Pelagic (I think – it looks a little big, but the head does appear smaller than that of the Brandt’s next to it and I can’t see any pale in the pouch), Brandt’s, Pelagic, Double-crested, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Brandt’s, Pelagic
Pelagics are clearly smaller, with thinner necks and very thin bills, no obvious glar pouch coloration
Brandt’s is bigger, yet slender-bodied, with a dull straw-colored pouch, thicker neck and bill than Pelagic
Double-crested is big-bodied and thick-necked, has a bright orange pouch and the thickest bill
Should have read the full text above the picture before I posted :-)
Just for clarity, bird H is Brandt’s, I is Pelagic (A-G are pretty self-explanatory)
I opened the photo in Picasa 3 and lightened it some, which brought out some additional detail on the cormorants. Starting from the right and moving left across the rock: (I) apparent Pelagic by small bill size, smallish head and slim neck, but I would like a better angle; (H) Brandt’s, (G) Brandt’s, (F) Pelagic; (E) Double-crested; (D) Pelagic; © Brandt’s; (B) not a Double-crested, but otherwise ambiguous, and I would need a better angle of the bird to make the call between Brandt’s and Pelagic; and (A) not a Pelagic, probably a Brandt’s, but I would need a better view to make the call between Brandt’s and Double-crested.
From Left: Brandt’s, Brandt’s, Brandt’s, Pelagic, Double-crested, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Brandt’s, Pelagic
Brandt’s, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Pelagic, Double-crested, Pelagic, Brandt’s, can’t-tell-but-looks-like-a-Brandt’s, and Pelagic. Pelagics have thin bills and an abrupt bill/forecrown angle not shown by other species; Brandt’s have heavy bills and a distinctively wedge-shaped head lacking that steep forecrown.
From left to right; Brandts, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Pelagic, Double Crested, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Brandt’s, Pelagic. I go by head shape, face color and thickness of bill. Probably by the tilt of the head, too. It’s much easier when they are all together like in the photo. Easier still when in breeding plumage. I admit I usually do a double-take when I see a Brandt’s for the first time in a while.
My eyes aren’t what they used to be. Birding by shape and behavior is more important than ever for me. On the other hand, many days in Oregon from November to April (June?) are gray and cloudy and birding consists of sorting out silhouettes just as in your photo.
Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants have large, knot-like heads on fairly thick necks. Pelagic Cormorants, on the other hand, have skinny, snakey, necks and very small heads not noticably thicker than their necks. The tails are longer than the other two cormorants, if you can see them. Thus, it is easy to separate the Pelagic Cormorants (B, D, F, I). Double-crested Cormorants have orange throat pouches all year. The larger bill is obvious. There is only one in this photo (E). Even in the non-breeding season Brandt’s Cormorants have a pale throat patch, visible on these birds (A, C, G, H)—or, at least, it is visible when I magnify 200% (I told you my eyes aren’t what they once were!).
Interestingly, shape in flight is equally unique, so that if this flock was flying away, all individuals would be identifiable by the head/neck/tail differentiation mentioned as well as how the Brandt’s hold its neck goose-straight, while Double-crested crooks its neck up like a heron.
Finally, these birds show a hen-peck order that is consistently reliable for identification. Not far from where your photo was taken are a bunch of pilings tied together with cross beams. The top bird on each piling is a Double-crested Cormorant. The birds on the cross beams are mostly Brandt’s Cormorants. The Pelagic Cormorants cling to the cabled sides of the pilings, or swim about in the water under the pilings. Check it out the next time you visit.
OK. This is the first time I’ve publicly stuck my neck out like this, but since we’re talking about cormorants, it seems appropriate…
I did this cold: no field guides, no review of others’ comments, swore to be true to my first impression:
Brandt’s—C, G, maybe H (can’t really see H well)
Pelagic—B,D,F,I
DC—A,E
The Pelagics seem pretty straightforward (smaller, skinny neck, thin bill). DC is easy if you can see the big orange throat patch (E), but also has a really thick-necked look and blocky head, so I put bird A down as DC.
Brandt’s look like slimmed-down versions of DC…not sure if the darker bill is real or just a trick of the light in this photo (ok, now I’ll go look it up).
I decided to throw my hat in the ring and give it a try; from left, Brandt’s, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Pelagic, Double-crested, Pelagic, Brandt’s, Brandt’s, Pelagic. This is an interesting exercise as it makes one more aware to study even the common birds with care.
from left to right i would guess brandt’s, pelagic, brandt’s, pelagic, double-crested, pelagic, brandt’s, pelagic. but i am not sure some that i call brandt’s might not be double-crested since i can’t be sure there is no orange on throat.
A Brandt’s B Pelagic C Brandt’s D Pelagic E Dounle-crestedFPelagic
GPelagic H Brandt’s I Pelagic
A.Brandt’s B.Pelagic C.Brandt’s D.Pelagic E.Double-crested F.Pelagic G.Brandt’s H.Brandt’s I.Pelagic
A Double-crested, B&C Brandt’s, D Pelagic, E Double-crested,
F Pelagic, G&H Brandt’s, I Pelagic
Stargate Universe Fans Please Help!!! Let’s do whatever it takes to keep this bald dude the hell off the show…
http://www.koldcast.tv/video/2384
בנות שלום! אני מאורסת טרייה ואני והחצי החלטנו לחפש בעל מקצוע מפיק אירועים. אנחנו רוצים להתחתן אוקטובר הבא, וקיבלתי הצעה מענינת מאביב זימרמן – הפקת אירועים, אגב, אנחנו מחפשים באיזור המרכז, בערך 300 אורחים במחיר של לא יותר מ 250 שקל לאיש. האם מישהי שמעה על Mye.co.il, להפקת חתונות ויכולה לתת לי חוות דעת? האם יש מקומות אחרים בצפון (חיפה) שכדאי לי לבקר ל הפקת חתונה ?
ומה השלב הבא? אלוהים איזה לחץ… אנחנו גם צריכים למצוא אולמות לאירועים או מפיק האירועים ידאג לנו? עוד חודשיים יש לבן דוד שלי בר מצוה וגם לו צריך לארגן אירוע, אנו מקווים להתשמש באותו מפיק אירועים. אשמח גם לשמוע על דעות והמלצות נוספות בהפקת אירועים וחתונות.
תודה תודה תודה, להלה.
Just thought I should post a message introducing myself. I write for the new United States Congress site.
I am very interested in peoples opinion on the site.
Whats up? New here and figured that I should post and say hi.
hi i am new here just wana say hi to all members
Hello Im PM’ing you in the hope that you visit my video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS7I1cBi4Kk, as I was told you would be able to help me with it.
I am new here and I was wondering if you could tell me why my account keeps logging out? Is this normal?