Cormorant

🔍 Overview

A sleek fisher and silhouette of Sussex rivers, lakes, and coast. The Cormorant is an adaptable and widespread bird often seen drying its wings.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Size: Large (80–100 cm)
Plumage: Dark, glossy black with greenish sheen
Distinctive Marks: Hooked bill, yellow throat patch
Bill: Long, hooked
Tail: Long and wedge-shaped
Flight: Straight, low over water

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Common on Sussex coast, large lakes, and estuaries — e.g. Widewater, Brooklands and Adur Valley.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Silent when fishing, croaky grunts at nest sites. Often perches with wings outstretched.

🍴 Diet

Dives for fish in both fresh and saltwater.

📸 Birding Tip

Look for perched individuals drying wings on posts or rocks, especially at low tide.