Their webbed feet, positioned far back on their bodies, propel their streamlined frames to depths of 20 feet or more in search of prey. They can remain underwater for about 30 seconds. On average, double-crested cormorants forage 60 minutes per day and consume one pound of food. Although expert swimmers and divers, cormorants look like they struggle to stay afloat. They are commonly seen with only their heads and necks exposed from the water.
Cormorants lack the oil glands that other water birds have so their feathers don t repel water well.
They perch on rocks or in trees with their wings half open to dry in the sun. To take off from water, cormorants gain speed by tiptoeing along the surface while flapping their wings. Upwards of 50,000 double crested cormorants winter in Oklahoma every year. Hopefully, we will find a way to balance this ecological success story with our state s aquatic resources.