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The '''Great Cormorant''' (''Phalacrocorax carbo'') is a widespread member of the
cormorant family of
seabirds. It breeds in much of the Old World and the
Atlantic coast of
North America.
This is a very common and widespread
bird species. It breeds mainly on coasts, nesting on cliffs or in trees (which are eventually killed by the droppings), but also increasingly inland. 3-4 eggs are laid in a nest of seaweed or twigs.
It feeds on the sea, in estuaries, and on fresh water lakes and rivers. Northern birds
migrate south, and winter along any coast that is well-supplied with fish.
This is a large black
bird, with a longish tail and yellow throat-patch. Adults have white thigh patches in the breeding season. In European waters it can be distinguished from the
Common Shag by its larger size, heavier build, thicker bill, lack of a crest and plumage without any green tinge.
In eastern North America, it is similarly larger and bulkier than
Double-crested Cormorant, and the latter species has more yellow on the throat and bill.
The subspecies found in
Australasian waters, ''P. carbo novaehollandis'', has a crest. In
New Zealand it is known as the '''Black Shag'''.
The Great Cormorant can dive to considerable depths, but often feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. A wide variety of fish are taken: cormorants are often noticed eating
eels, but this may reflect the considerable time taken to subdue an eel and position it for swallowing, rather than any dominance of eels in the diet. In
UK waters dive times of 20-30 seconds are common, with a recovery time on the surface around a third of dive time.
Because the cormorant's outline while drying its wings suggested a cross, it occasionally featured in medieval
heraldry.
da:Skarv
de:Kormoran
et:Kormoran
nl:aalscholver
pl:Kormoran czarny
