Wild Wednesday – Cormorant
The cormorant is a large, shiny black waterbird with a distinctive white patch on its thigh during the breeding season. Its size, colour, and reptile looking neck give it a prehistoric appearance.
They can be seen in West Sussex from January to December, frequenting the coastline, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers.
These birds are expert fishers, diving to impressive depths, up to 45 metres, using their webbed feet to propel underwater and wings to steer. Interestingly, swimming uses less energy for them than flying.
You'll often spot them perched on rocks, banks, or posts with their wings outstretched - a behaviour to dry their feathers, which aren't fully waterproof.
Nesting habits include coastal cliffs, tree colonies near inland waters such as lakes and flooded gravel pits.
West Sussex highlights
- at Swanbourne Lake, Arundel, a cormorant was photographed wrestling with an eel
- the Canal and River Trust report a substantial increase in numbers over the past 30 years along canals, rivers, and reservoirs across the UK
- commonly seen along the King Charles III England Coastal Path, including Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, as well as inland nature reserves like Pulborough Brooks
Cormorant vs Shag
- cormorant: larger, shiny black plumage with a white thigh patch in summer, hooked bill, yellow throat patch, and no crest
- shag: smaller, dark green glossy plumage, slender body, a crest on its head, and a narrower bill that's yellow when open
Curious to spot one next time you're out? Take some binoculars and keep an eye on lakeside or coastal roosts for their signature wing-drying pose!
Read more here: Cormorant | The Wildlife Trusts