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 (see that page).
The Brant’s Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus has a smaller yellow patch at the base of its lower jaw, sometimes easy to miss.
The Pelagic Cormorant is still smallerm has no yellow patch. Its neck and bill are thinner than for the other two cormorants.
Another distinctive feature of Brant’s Cormorant is the iridescent blue patch under the mandible. It matches the color of its eyes and is more easily seen when the cormorant looks up 1382. Usually the Brant's presents as a whitish patch under it lower jaw. This is shown well in 8990 taken off Anacapa, one of the Channel Islands.