# Double-crested Cormorant

*Nannopterum auritum*

They lack the waterproof oils typical of most waterbirds, which allows them to sink faster for hunting but requires them to stand with wings spread to dry out.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Suliformes › Phalacrocoracidae › Nannopterum
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** aquatic
- **Habitat:** Coastal waters, estuaries, lakes, and large rivers.
- **Diet:** Opportunistic carnivore primarily eating small fish, but also crustaceans and amphibians.
- **Range:** North America, Mexico, The Bahamas, Cuba
- **Size:** Length: 70-90 cm; Wingspan: 114-123 cm; Weight: 1.2-2.5 kg
- **Lifespan:** 6-18 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Entanglement in discarded fishing gear, habitat loss, and human persecution due to perceived competition with commercial fisheries.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans but wary. Maintain a distance of 15 meters to avoid interrupting their essential wing-drying behavior. If cornered, they may strike with their sharp, hooked beak; if bitten, wash the wound with soap and water and seek medical attention if infection develops.

## About

The double-crested cormorant ( Nannopterum auritum ) is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes, and in coastal areas, and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. Measuring 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length, it is entirely black except for a bare patch of orange-yellow facial skin and some extra plumage that it exhibits in the breeding season, when it grows...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/13c40ffd-74e7-4acf-9b3d-2e54f5fd2b5c
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1454382
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-crested_cormorant
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/173884349/medium.png (Eridan Xharahi, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.