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Let's watch a cormorant hunting in a lotus pond in SE Asia. No narration, no music. Cormorants are aquatic birds found throughout much of the world in coastal regions, rivers, lakes, marshes, and inland wetlands. Members of the family Phalacrocoracidae, they are expert divers that hunt fish and other small aquatic prey underwater using powerful feet and streamlined bodies. Most cormorant species have dark feathers, long necks, hooked bills, and excellent underwater vision that helps them pursue prey beneath the surface. Unlike many water birds, cormorants are often seen holding their wings open after diving, a behavior believed to help dry their feathers and regulate body temperature. Some species nest in trees while others form colonies on cliffs, rocky shorelines, or isolated islands. Cormorants have also played a role in human history, especially in parts of Asia where trained birds were traditionally used for fishing. Their adaptability, hunting skill, and distinctive appearance have made them a familiar sight to bird watchers, wildlife photographers, and nature lovers around the world.
From Wikipedia:
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds found worldwide and commonly known as cormorants and shags.
Cormorants and shags are medium-to-large birds, with body weight in the range of 0.35–5 kilograms (0.77–11.02 lb) and wing span of 60–100 centimeters (24–39 in). The majority of species have dark feathers. The bill is long, thin and hooked. All species are fish-eaters, catching the prey by diving from the surface.
Cormorant colonies nest around seacoasts, in trees, islets or cliffs. They are coastal rather than oceanic birds. Some species have colonized inland waters.
All cormorants and shags are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. They dive from the surface. Under water they propel themselves with their feet, though some also propel themselves with their wings.
Humans have used cormorants' fishing skills in various places in the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that cormorant fishing was practiced in Ancient Egypt, Peru, Korea and India, but the strongest tradition has remained in China and Japan, where it reached commercial-scale level in some areas. In Japan, cormorant fishing is called ukai (鵜飼) and is performed by a fisherman known as an usho. In a common technique, a snare is tied near the base of the bird's throat, which allows the bird only to swallow small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird's throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman's raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat. The method is not as common today, since more efficient methods of catching fish have been developed, but is still practiced as a cultural tradition.
The cormorant served as the hood ornament for the Packard automobile brand.
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