Two Socotra cormorants was actually unusual, as I mostly saw them in one large mass. There are many of this species on the west coast of Socotra, especially around the Shuab area. A couple of times found them in a huge group fishing – that was amazing to see. No humans in sight – only […]
The Socotra cormorant is both endemic to the region and thus a vulnerable species, but also due to excessive habitat loss caused by human activities. It’s very different in behavior to other cormorant species in that it hunts in flocks! It’s a marvelous spectacle to see the moving blackness against the bright sands of the […]
This has become a more uncommon species, and even here around havens like the Ballestas Islands in Peru I saw only a few individuals. None with chicks as I did with the equally uncommon red-legged cormorant.
This is the second of the regional species of cormorant I encountered, also this one becoming more and more rare – just like the guanay cormorant. I was in luck and found this couple with two chicks, but photographing them was really hard as they were located outside the protected harbor of Pucusana, and the […]
The oxbow lake at the Amazon Reaseach and Conservation Center holds enough fish to support ravenous giant otters, caimans, anhingas and neotropical cormorants. The cormorant is a common bird throughout South America, and this oxbow lake is no exception, but sometimes there are moments where they might sit or do something unusual. In this posture […]
This is a critical moment for the cormorant. It’s a large fish and from my vantage point it seems unlikely it would swallow it. If it struggles too long, other birds might try to steal it. If it swims into the vegetation, it could be attacked by a caiman. It’s fascinating how a bird can […]
Even though Chalalan lake has no inlet or outlet, and is quite small, there is so much life in it that it supports several ravenous cormorants in addition to many other fish eating species. Yet again you can see the horseflies! Every larger bird I’ve seen by the water (river or lake) so far has […]
Drying its feathers after a dive. It sounds like this:
The population is limited to Fernandina and portions of Isabela, and is as a species vulnerable. It’s an agile swimmer and and expert of catching fish – on land it is a different matter. Perfectly camouflaged against the black lava rocks. Where is evolution going? Will the wings be nothing more than a Penguin’s in […]