Double-crested Cormorant

Field profile

The double‑crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) is a large, black waterbird with a distinctive orange‑yellow facial patch and a seasonal double crest of black and white feathers. It feeds by diving for fish, often drying its non‑waterproof feathers with outstretched wings, and breeds in noisy colonies on trees, cliffs or ground nests.