Double Crested Cormorant?

by Oksana Pakhlavuni
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

On April 26, 2009 I visited High Park in Toronto with my camera I took a picture of a bird I had never seen before.

It was a relatively big bird, smaller than a Canadian Goose, but much bigger then Loon.

It is black with a big body and small round head on a long neck, there are tufts or 'ears' which are very noticeable.

The beak was flat with a hook at the end and the appearance of the bird is actually scary!

It was diving and staying under the water for a very long time.

I tried to identify the bird on-line, however, I could not find anything similar to it.

Would you please let me know what this bird could be. Thank you

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Thank you for your picture and interesting story Oksana - I am pretty sure the bird you saw was a Double Crested Cormorant.

According to the MNR, the Double-Crested Cormorant is the only Cormorant species found in the Great Lakes region. It is a medium to large (typical length 70 – 90 cm, body mass 1.2 – 2.5 kg) greenish-black coloured waterbird.

The bill is long (5-8 cm), slender and hooked at the end. The bird has brilliant turquoise eyes, a golden throat patch, and a cobalt-blue mouth for a short time prior to and during the breeding season.