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. They 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 the other two cormorants. Another distinctive feature is the white spot near the rump seen when the adult breeding bird is in flight. (8101.