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To the Beauty of Birds

There are three different cormorants along the Oregon coast – the Double-crested, Brant’s and Pelagic. The double crested is more inland while the other two are sea birds, close to or in the ocean. The can be distinguished by the color of their gullet (lower jaw).

The Double-crested Cormorant has a prominent yellow gullet extending well past its ears and easily visible form a distance.

The Brant’s Cormorant has a much smaller yellow patch at the base of its lower jaw, sometimes easy to miss.

The Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus has no yellow patch. Its neck and bill are thinner than for the other two cormorants. Another distinctive feature is the white spot rear the rump seen when in flight of the adult breeding bird (8101, 8109).

Photo 8980 taken off Anacapa Island, CA show a Brant's Cormorant (left) nexst to a Pelagic Cormorant (right). Note the distinctly smaller size of the Pelagic Cormorant and its thinner bill.

Pelagic Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant 0234

Pelagic Cormorant 1312

Pelagic Cormorant 1393B

Pelagic Cormorant 31393

Pelagic Cormorant 8101

Pelagic Cormorant 8109

Pelagic and Brandt's Cormorant 8980