Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
An archaic looking bird frequently seen at Parc des Rapides, Lachine. The bird is mostly black with yellow, orange bill and face displaying two crests during breeding season. No sexual dimorphism.
- 🇫🇷 Cormoran à aigrettes
- 🇩🇪 Ohrenscharbe
- 🇲🇽 Cormorán orejudo
Characteristics
- Length: 70-90cm
- Weight: 600-1000g ♂, 800-1100g ♀
- Wingspan: 120-150cm
How to Identify
An all black bird with yellow to orange bill and face. The bird either stands on rocks or wood trunks, sometimes spreading out its wings to dry them or it flys up along the river, plunges into the water and dives for fishes.
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Where and When to Spot
I see them almost on every visit to Rapids Park Lachine from early spring to late autumn.
Observations by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parc Angrignon | x | x | x | - |
| Parc Michel-Chartrand | - | - | - | x |
| Parc de la Cité | - | x | - | - |
| Parc de la Frayère | x | x | - | - |
| Parc des Rapides, Lachine | - | x | x | - |
| Parc Île-de-la-Visitation | x | - | - | - |
| Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park | - | x | - | - |
"-" indicates no observation. It may not necessarily mean though that the species is absent from the park during that season.
Photography Tips
Parc des Rapides, Lachine is an ideal location to observe and capture stunning photographs of cormorants. At the Northern tip of the park you can descend to the river level for capturing shots of this bird in flight with a unique perspective as the cormorants use to fly stream upwards nearby. Taking photographs of cormorants is relatively easy as they tend to fly slowly and have a predictable flight pattern. However, capturing clear shots of these birds in flight does require some specialized equipment, including a long lens with a focal length of at least 400mm and a wide aperture of f/5.6 or wider. Additionally, it's important to have a camera system that can quickly focus on moving subjects.
For capturing intimate close-up shots, Parc Angrignon is a great place to visit. This park boasts several ponds that provide opportunities to encounter these birds, especially the large pond, near the entrance to the metro, is a prime spot where cormorants frequently can bee seen, pausing and preening.