Date: 8/16/25 10:09 pm From: Andrew Birch <0000171b9d979956-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: [BIRDWG01] Neotropic vs. Double-crested Cormorant
Hi Marcel, interesting bird and I agree appears quite long-tailed. Of course, young apparently dark-lored Double-cresteds are a not too uncommon problem. However, this view of your bird (when zoomed in) does actually show some yellowish lores:https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/640357003
I find bill structure and even gular shapebelow the eye a little variable and can be hard to assess on lone birds, so not sure there's anything obviously wrong with the bill on your bird eg there's not much of a difference between this Double-crested and this Neotropic in terms of bill structure. The difference in the shape of the gular below the eye can be pretty subtle too even in these close range shots:
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/300498091https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/422118571
On Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 06:09:26 AM PDT, 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
