Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Cormorants Dive During the Day
Much like people, cormorants rally in the afternoon
© Becky Matsubara
At midday, it might seem like the birds that were so active in the morning have gone silent, maybe even vanished. But cormorants rally in the afternoon, offering a second chance to see and hear them. During the breeding season, Double-crested Cormorants have two peaks of fishing activity: the first around 9 a.m., and the second around 3 p.m. Their efficient fishing lets them spend most of the day drying their feathers and croaking at their neighbors.
BirdNote®
Cormorants Dive During the Day
Written by Conor Gearin
This is BirdNote.
[Shore soundscape]
At midday, it might seem like the birds that were so active in the morning have gone silent, maybe even vanished. But there are some birds that, much like people, rally in the afternoon, offering a second chance to see and hear them.
[Double-crested Cormorant calls]
Cormorants are sleek waterbirds that dive for fish. There are cormorant species found all over the world. The Double-crested Cormorant is the most common in North America. During the summer breeding season, this species has two peak times for hunting, the first around 9 am, and the second around 3 pm. So if you’re out in the afternoon, you might find a cormorant hard at work diving for fish.
[Double-crested Cormorant calls and splash]
Cormorants don’t spend most of their time looking for food, though. They catch their prey efficiently, letting them spend most of their day loafing around, drying their feathers in the sun, and croaking at their neighbors.
[Double-crested Cormorant calls]
Sounds like an ideal day for many human anglers, too. Reel in a few fish, then kick back and relax.
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
Support for BirdNote is provided by Ellen Blackstone from Edmonds, Washington and generous listeners around the world.
###
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Double-crested Cormorant ML594630381 recorded by Ben Newhouse, Double-crested Cormorant ML24184101 recorded by Paul Marvin, and Double-crested Cormorant ML296738021 recorded by Natasza Fontaine.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2024 BirdNote June 2024
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# DCCO-02-2024-06-25 DCCO-02
Reference:
https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/doccor/cur/introduction
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jeremy-Coleman-5/publication/23268…
Ariana Remmel
Narrator
Conor Gearin
WriterSights & Sounds
