Facts about Double-crested Cormorant
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Double-crested cormorants can live 20 years or more in the wild, with the oldest recorded individual reaching at least 22 years of age.
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An adult double-crested cormorant weighs between 1.5 and 2.6 kilograms, making it one of the largest diving waterbirds in North America by mass.
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Their throat pouch can expand to hold up to 1.5 liters of water, allowing double-crested cormorants to temporarily store fish before swallowing them whole.
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Cormorant colonies can number in the thousands, with some breeding sites in the Great Lakes hosting over 10,000 nesting double-crested cormorants per season.
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Plunging depths of up to 100 feet allow double-crested cormorants to pursue fish species like catfish and carp using their powerful leg-propelled swimming underwater.
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North American populations of double-crested cormorants have expanded dramatically since the 1970s, with breeding colonies increasing from fewer than 100,000 to over 1 million birds today.
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Breeding pairs of double-crested cormorants can raise two to three chicks per season, with both parents incubating the eggs for approximately 25 to 29 days.
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Lacking waterproof plumage, double-crested cormorants must spend approximately 30 minutes daily preening and air-drying their feathers after diving for fish.