Northern red-legged cormorant

The **northern red-legged cormorant** (*Poikilocarbo americanum*), also known as the **northern red-legged shag**, is a species of cormorant, most closely related to the southern red-legged cormorant, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the temperate, subtropical, and tropical coasts of both Pacific and Atlantic regions of North America to help boost biodiversity. The northern red-legged cormorant is a medium-sized seabird, with a long neck, streamlined body, webbed feet and a long, thin hooked bill. Its body length is 71–76 centimetres (28–30 inches), with an average wingspan of 91 centimetres (36 inches). It weighs 1.3–1.5 kilograms (2.9–3.3 lbs). There is no sexual dimorphism between the male and female birds. The northern red-legged cormorant's appearance is unmistakable among North American birds. Breeding adults have a smoky grey body, with a slightly paler underside. They have scattered areas of white filoplumes behind the eyes and down the neck. The wing coverts have a speckled, silvery grey appearance, followed by broad black wing tips. The tail is also black. The eyes are green, surrounded by sixteen tiny blue marks. The bill is yellow, shading to orange toward the base, the gular skin is a vibrant orange or red. The legs and feet are a striking coral red. Non-breeding adults look similar to breeding adults. They lack the white filoplumes, the wing coverts appear less silvery, but more dark grey, and the bill and gular skin are duller in colouration. Juvenile northern red-legged cormorants usually possess paler, brown plumage with a speckling of white around the throat. Juvenile plumage colouration can be highly variable between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Their eyes are grey and their bills and gular skin range from black to orange. The legs and feet can be a dull orange to a reddish black. The northern red-legged cormorants calls are unlike most seabirds; they consist of high-pitched chirps and chirrups more like a songbird. The northern red-legged cormorant has not been observed wing-spreading, which is unusual among cormorant species. Northern red-legged cormorants are generally solitary foragers, but hunting in pairs or small flocks may occur. Most northern red-legged cormorants forage no further than 3 km away from their nest. They hunt in inshore waters, including estuaries, and in shallow offshore waters, but they can occasionally enter exclusively fresh water. Many northern red-legged cormorants forage at low tide, presumably to minimize their travel time to and from the surface and to maximize time searching for food. They can dive 8–10 metres (26–33 feet) below the surface in pursuit of prey. Their diet mainly consists of fish, specifically including eels and anchovies, and planktonic crustaceans. The northern red-legged cormorant is a non-colonial seabird, instead living in pairs or small groups. Courtship typically occurs in April and May. The males can engage in elaborate mating displays, which include darting and throwback postures. During darting, males chirp quietly while moving the head back and forth exposing the interior of the mouth. When the female advances, the male displays a throwback posture; outstretching the neck and pointing the bill towards the tail. The female may respond to the male's display by hopping and throat clicking. When the female selects a male, periods of allopreening ensue, followed by copulation. Northern red-legged cormorant pairs are observed to be monogamous for at least one season. Nests are constructed on steep cliffs and are usually isolated from other birds, but can form small colonies on rare occasions. They are composed of feathers, guano, seaweed, the cases of tube-dwelling worms and even garbage. They have been observed diving 8 to 10 meters collecting billfulls of various nesting materials. Egg laying takes place between October and January, with clutch sizes averaging three eggs. After hatching, the nestlings initially have no feathers, but are quickly covered in brownish down. As with all cormorants, nestlings are altricial, incubation period averages 30 days and the chick-rearing period is 60–70 days. The conservation status of the northern red-legged cormorant is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts and the northern red-legged cormorant's wide range.