Date: 8/16/25 11:37 am From: Wayne Hoffman <whoffman...> Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Neotropic vs. Double-crested Cormorant
I agree. In addition to the eye surroundings, the bare facial skin on DCCO extends back and down from the gape to form a fairly extensive bare-skinned gular pouch. In Neotropic, the boundry between bare skin and feathers angles down and forward from a sharp angle at the gape, leaving much more of the chin/throat area feathered. This bird shows the skin/feathers boundary of a NeotropicaL Cormorant.
Wayne Hoffman
----- Original Message -----
From: "<greatgrayowl...>" <0000012933c40dff-dmarc-request...>
To: "BIRDWG01" <BIRDWG01...>
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2025 2:26:27 PM
Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Neotropic vs. Double-crested Cormorant
Marcel:
As depicted by Pyle (2008), the eyes of Neotrop are outside the bare facial skin, whereas in DC and Great, the eyes are within that bare-skin area, which suggests that your bird at least has NECO genes.
Photos of juv/imm NECO:
ML543513911 - Neotropic Cormorant - Macaulay Library
Pyle, P. 2008. Identification Guide to North American Birds, part II. Slate Creek Press, Bolinas, CA. [slatecreekpress.com]
Tony
Tony Leukeringcurrently Denver, COeBird blog
Photo quizPhotos
On Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 07:09:24 AM MDT, Marcel Gahbauer <marcel...> wrote:
Hi everyone,
I'm curious for feedback on an unusual cormorant observation I had earlier this week.
I was attending an event on private property adjacent to Lake Ontario, when my 8-year-old son came to tell me there was a cormorant 'trapped' in the rocks along the shore. It wasn't trapped as such - but it was just floating there in a small space between rocks, and occasionally being pushed into them by the waves. It looked like one eye was damaged or diseased, and locals told me some cormorants had washed up recently and were presumed to have died from botulism, so my initial thoughts were focused on the health of the bird more than its ID (given that the only regularly occurring species in Ontario is Double-crested).
However, upon sharing a few photos with friends, the suggestion was raised that it could be a juvenile Neotropic Cormorant, given the proportionately long tail, relatively darker upper breast, and generally sleek shape. In retrospect, it was relatively small - I didn't notice that at the time given the circumstances but I was as close as 5 m and so it seemed like a large bird based on proximity more than reality perhaps. On the other hand, the bill still looks to me quite sturdy and more like that of a Double-crested Cormorant.
Although I've seen Neotropic Cormorant once previously in Ontario (more conveniently among a group of Double-crested) and a few times in its regular range, I don't have enough experience to be confident in resolving these seemingly conflicting aspects of ID, and would welcome any insights. Photos are posted in my eBird report at https://ebird.org/checklist/S267572991
