ML128470081

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

As Kristi Mayo described these two, (they were initially found on 7/23/2012 by Doug Willis) these two had "dark lores, white border around gular area, proportionately longer tail than Double-crested." I also looked up distinguishing characteristics of the Neotropic versus Double Crested in Birds in North America. The Neotropic Cormorant is a "small cormorant (ca. 1.2-1.4 kg) with emerald green eye and pale yellow gular (throat) pouch at base of grayish bill; pronounced white V of feathers outlines pouch. Breeding adult develops small patch of white filoplumes (thin feathers) along sides of head (most postauricular), sides of neck and ventral region neck, giving streaked appearance. Otherwise adult body plumage entirely black except for dark-greenish mantling to upper wings and back. In flight, neck about as long as tail. Voice low, short, frog-like grunts and baritone croaking (Sibley 2000, p. 51). Juvenile paler, with dark brown breast, variably yellower bill, and no iridescence on back. Often occurs with Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacorcorax auritus), especially in winter; sometimes confused with that species. Body size, and shape and color of gular pouch are most reliable distinguishing marks in the field (Morrison 1979, Clark 1992, Patten 1993). Neotropic Cormorant is smaller in body length (61 vs. 74 cm), wingspan (102 vs. 127 cm), and weight (1.4 vs. 2.3 kg). Size, shape, and color of gular pouches also differ markedly (Fig. 2): gular pouch of Neotropic Cormorant resembles a horizontal V (apex pointed backward); is small, pale yellowish brown, proportionally <50% the size of remainder of head; and is bordered behind by a thin white line that outlines the size and shape of pouch. In Double-crested Cormorant, pouch is much larger; rounded rather than V-shaped in posterior profile; bright orange-yellow; and proportionally about as large as remainder of head. In addition, at a distance, tail length of Neotropic Cormorant is noticeably longer in proportion to body length than that of Double-crested Cormorant, i.e., about 0.4 versus 0.2 of total length. In flight, the Neotropic Cormorant appears evenly balanced in profile (tail extending as far behind the wings as the head and neck extend in front); in contrast, in flight, the Double-crested Cormorant appears unbalanced in profile (shorter tail extending behind the wings in proportion to longer head and neck extending in front), thus appearing front-heavy.... See Kaufman and Small (2004) for identification tips. Good color photographs are included." That's it from Birds of North America. There's a lot more in that wonderful database, but that's all I wanted to include here. Video Photos of the second Neotropic Cormorant we found: Photos of the first one we found. Couldn't get any closer. You can probably see the 'v' in the video better on this one

Technical information

Dimensions

1920 pixels x 1080 pixels

Original file size

96.87 KB