Double-crested Cormorant
Look at the color of that mouth. Double-crested cormorants don’t usually make the list of must-have bird captures, but this moment stood out as it launched from the lake with a hard-won catch—only to lose it seconds later back to the water.
Natural History Notes
Large pebbles are occasionally found in double-crested cormorant nests, where the birds sometimes treat them as eggs. Although now common across much of the Midwest, cormorants were once heavily impacted by pesticide use; in 1974, only a dozen nests were recorded in Illinois before populations rebounded following environmental protections. (Source: All About Birds)
