Bald Ravens. Snakebirds. Devil Birds.
Cormorants and darters have gotten a bad rap throughout human history. They’re seen as bad luck, as fish gluttons, as evil spirits. They eat all our gamefish and scare off the ducks and their guano is a threat to human health. Well, that last part is true, at least.
Crowned Cormorant, South Africa, by Adam Riley
These characterizations are not fair! These slanderous accusations will not stand!
Come celebrate the Cormorants and Darter at the newest edition of I and the Bird!
Nate Swick is a birder. He grew up in the midwest but currently makes his home in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife and two young children, who are not yet aware that they are birders too. He has a soft spot for Piping Plovers and loves pelagics even when his stomach doesn’t, which makes him the quintessential Carolina birder. Nate is the editor of the ABA blog, host of the American Birding Podcast, and author of two books, Birding for the Curious and The ABA Field Guide to Birds of the Carolinas.
Their guano is a good fertilizer so they’re not all bad. I’ve always enjoyed watching a Cormorant fishing and am amazed at how long they can stay under water.