Large Cormorant

The Large Cormorant , or common Cormorant , is a marine bird which belongs to the family of the Phalacrocoracidé S whose cormorants are the only representatives.

Characteristics

  • scientific Name: Phalacrocorax carbo
  • Size: 90 cm
  • Scale: 150 cm
  • Longevity: 20 years
  • Nesting: from April at June

The plumage of the Large Cormorant is entirely black, except for the period of reproduction during which some white spots appear, in particular with the neck. The youngest birds have a clearer plumage. The nozzle of the Large Cormorants comprises a broad yellow spot at the base, which distinguishes them, in addition to their greater stoutness, other species. It should be noted that the large cormorant can plunge until 10 meters of depth to capture its prey, even 30 meters.

Behavior

The Large Cormorant can cross only 50 km to seek its preys: fish which it intermittently fishes while plunging, between two courses with the stroke. Its legs are largely webbed and its eyes are equipped with sufficiently deformable crystalline lenses to adapt to the vision under water. It cannot however remain there a long time because it does not have like the others Palmipède S of Glande uropygienne (on tail) making it possible to waterproof its plumage. Sometimes perched, it passes from the deployed hours to be dried, wings and tail.

Protection

Considered, in Europe, like a species threatened in the Seventies, the continental race of the Grand Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis ) was protected in all European space by the Directive birds from 1979. This protection allowed the increase of European manpower starting from the countries where the species had been maintained (primarily Denmark and Netherlands).

Nesting

The protection measures and the increase in the food resources (following the Eutrophication of continental and coastal water) allowed, starting from the middle of the Eighties, an expansion of the zones of nesting in all Northern Europe: Denmark and Netherlands, but also Germany, Poland and Sweden.

Internal bonds

Cormorant

External bonds

  • Photographs

Zh-min-nan: Lô͘-chî

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