Cycle path from Streeton Drive to Lake BG - Pied Cormorant - request for confirmation

[martin butterfield <>]

For what it is worth I find metaphors quite useful in distinguishing these species at a distance.

The Little Pied Cormorant looks fluffy and compact, like a puppy.
The Pied Cormorant looks sleek and long, like a penguin.

I'll get back on my pills straight away!

Martin

On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 3:33 PM, Barbara Allan <> wrote:

Splendid photos Geoffrey, making the differences clear. Can I just add that there were remarkably few records of Pied Cormorants – only two – in the COG databases for July 2010-June2011. A single bird near Yarralumla nursery; another near Bungendore. Not sure if this means there have been fewer of the species around or whether folk haven’t been bothering to record them. For my part, I haven’t seen them in their relatively usual haunt of the pontoon near John Knight Park, Lake Ginninderra. b

 

From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Wednesday, 8 February 2012 11:49 AM

To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Cycle path from Streeton Drive to Lake BG - Pied Cormorant - request for confirmation

 

Hello Jean.  This got forwarded again.  No matter.  Well, a Pied Cormorant is certainly possible.  They are common on the coast, but we only get them occasionally on LBG, usually down near the carillon or the hospice, but they must feed more widely.  Size isn’t much of a guide when it’s a  single bird.  The main difference is the head  -  and makes the ID fairly clear if you get a decent look.  Differences shown below with Pied on top.  Little can vary according to age, whether just out of water etc, but top of bill is less than half length of head compared to Pied about same length.  This seems like a slight difference but gives the head a quite different, chunky look in the Little.   Another difference if the bird is out of the water is the black trousers on the Pied (second photo)  G