Earlier, at the same site, the *Neotropic* *“formed a pair bond with
a male Double-crested Cormorant, copulated with him, and successfully
reared young.”* FOSRC “Twenty-fourth Report.”
-
If you want the exact passages (page context) from the FFN/FOSRC reports, I
can pull those out for you—but the three committee reports above explicitly
document the *pair bond*, *copulation*, and *mixed-pair nesting* events at
Wakodahatchee.
Yes I do.
*Summary Table*
Site / Source Observation Details
*FOSRC 23rd Report (2015)* Adult Neotropic paired with Double-crested →
hatched 4 young, fledged 2
*FOSRC 26th Report (2018)* Female Neotropic “paired with” Double-crested
Cormorant—explicit pairing confirmed
*Birding Blog (Nemesisbird)* Adult Neotropic confirmed breeding with either
Double-crested or hybrid mate
*Tropical Audubon / Birds of S. Florida* Adult Neotropics on nests and
apparently hybridizing since 2012
------------------------------
Broad Takeaway
The *only well-documented, explicit examples* of *mixed pairs* (adult
Neotropic × adult Double-crested Cormorants) being *seen together and
reproducing* come from *Wakodahatchee Wetlands* in Palm Beach County:
*2018 (FOSRC 26):* Explicit observation of pairing behavior.
-
*Additional corroborative birding sources* reinforce these occurrences
since 2012.
On Mon, Aug 18, 2025 at 6:59 PM Robert O'Brien <baro...> wrote:
> And then there are the hybrids. One reported even so far away as here in
> Portland Oregon. Note I said 'reported'.
> Bob OBrien Portland.
> [image: image.png]
>
> On Sat, Aug 16, 2025 at 6:10 AM 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 >>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Marcel Gahbauer
>> Ottawa, Ontario
>> <marcel...><mailto:<marcel...> >>
>> Archives: https://listserv.ksu.edu/birdwg01.html >>
>
