December 5, 2016 – Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)

These cormorants are found along the west coast of North America from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico. They feed on a wide variety of fish, as well as shrimp, squid, and crabs. Hunting in small groups, they can dive up to 150 feet (46 meters) below the water’s surface. Males choose nesting sites and display there to ward off rivals in their large breeding colonies. The nests are constructed from seaweed and eelgrass held together with droppings. Males collect the nest materials while females build the nests. Both parents care for the chicks.

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