Differentiating Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants
© Bert Frenz, 1998
In the Brazos Valley, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants occupy the same habitat and often appear together in flight or side-by-side on the same perch. Yet differentiating the two species is a birding challenge. In general, Double-crested is more common than Neotropic, but this hardly a safe assumption. In fact, there are probably many more Neotropic Cormorants afield than we take the time to identify. Good birding spots to see both species are: Lake Bryan, Lake Somerville and Gibbons Creek Reservoir.
Double-crested Cormorant | Neotropic Cormorant | |
Facial pouch edge | perpendicular to neck | triangular, pointing toward neck |
Facial pouch edging | none, or partial white | white edges along triangle (adult) |
Facial pouch color | yellow orange | yellow brown |
Relative size | large | distinctly smaller when side-by-side |
Appearance | heavy bodied | slim bodied |
Tail | short length | medium length |
Flight | regular steady wing beats | faster wing beat |
Neck in flight | sagging, appears thicker | straight, appears thinner |