WATER BIRDS

CORMORANTS

Cormorants visit Hainault Lake all year round appearing in greater numbers during winter when they are often seen standing with wings held out to dry. Their bills are usually in a raised position. They have dark bodies with white and yellow face patches. In the breeding season they also have white thigh patches. It is easy to assume that the male is the one with the white head and neck feathers, but that may not be the case. Male and females are similar in appearance and any difference may be due to differing stages of moult and one bird acquiring breeding plumage earlier than the other. Bird age may affect when the moult occurs. Juveniles are whitish underneath. Cormorants may be despised by some British anglers, but in other parts of the world they are the fisherman's friend. For many centuries in China tame Cormorants have been employed to catch fish. A collar is attached around the bird's neck allowing it to swallow small fish, but not large ones. The fisherman retrieves the larger fish from the bird's throat and keeps them for himself.