Great Cormorant is a beautiful bird, widespread throughout the world. Its fishing ability may be as turned to man’s advantage in the Far East, or considered as fish competitor in several other countries and persecuted.
On the head, the chin is black, but cheeks and throat are covered with bare white skin. Head is black with more or less white feathers on the loosely crested nape which is formed by elongated feathers. According to each bird, we can see white short feathers extending broadly on the rear neck and ending in narrower collar on the foreneck.
The thin, straight bill is horn-coloured, with yellow to orange-red gape and hooked tip. The eyes are emerald. The short legs and the webbed feet are black.
Outside breeding season, Great Cormorant looses most of its white feathers and has duller plumage.
Both sexes are similar. Male is slightly larger than female, with larger bill.
Juvenile has brownish neck and white belly, and sometimes mottled pale brown breast, neck and flanks.
Second year resembles adult, but browner.
Young reaches its sexual maturity at 3-5 years.
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