Brandt's Cormorant Feeding Family

by Judi Dressler

Title

Brandt's Cormorant Feeding Family

Artist

Judi Dressler

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

While on a trip to California's Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, we saw an amazing number of Brandt's Cormorants all over the cliffs. Many were nest building there, and some of the females were sitting on eggs. This is my favorite photo of a male making a food contribution to his sweetie, a courting behavior. The males were going to great effort to find delicacies to feed their partners or to woo their hoped-for partners. You can tell he is feeding his sweetie and not babies, because immature cormorants do not have the blue throat patch.

From Audubon's website: "Along the Pacific Coast, the cormorant is a common resident of wave-washed rocks and offshore waters. Sociable at all seasons, it is often seen flying in long lines low over the water. Groups roost together on rocks near water, and feed in flocks offshore, often associating with other seabirds. They breed in colonies. The male chooses the nest site and displays there to ward off rivals and attract a mate. Displays include drawing his head back with blue throat pouch extended and bill pointed upward, spreading his tail, and fluttering his wings; also thrusting his head forward and downward in rapid repeated strokes. The nest site is on the ground, either level or steeply sloped."

Photo taken May 22, 2017 at Point Lobos in California.

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Descriptive words and tags include brandts cormorants, bandt's, brants, brandts, cormorants, cormorant, feeding, male feeding female, babies, nest, nesting, courting, mating, family, cliffs, phalacrocorax penicillatus, rocks, phalacrocorax, ocean, sea birds, birds, blue neck, blue, aves, avian, eating, wildlife, california, point lobos, coast, pacific, marine, lagoon, ledge, photo, photograph, photography, and judi dressler.

Uploaded

September 15th, 2017

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