Double-crested Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Los Haitises National Park
1 Verified sightings at Los Haitises National Park From 2019 to 2026
42,898 Verified sightings across all 27 parks From 2019 to 2026
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Double-crested Cormorant

The double-crested cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) is a member of the cormorant family of water birds. It is found near rivers and lakes and in coastal areas and is widely distributed across North America, from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Florida and Mexico. Measuring 70–90 cm (28–35 in) in length, it is entirely black except for a bare patch of orange-yellow facial skin and some extra plumage that it exhibits in the breeding season when it grows a double crest in which black feathers are mingled with white. Five subspecies are recognized. It mainly eats fish and hunts by swimming and diving. Its feathers, like all cormorants, are not waterproof, and it must dry them out after spending time in the water. Once threatened by the use of DDT, the numbers of this bird have increased markedly in recent years.

The double-crested cormorant was described by René Primevère Lesson in 1831. It was formerly classified in the genus Phalacrocorax, but a 2014 study supported reclassifying it and several other American cormorant species into the genus Nannopterum. The IOC followed this classification in 2021.

Its scientific genus name is derived from the Greek words νᾶνος... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Los Haitises National Park

Magnificent Frigatebird
LC

Magnificent Frigatebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fregata magnificens

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Brown Booby
LC

Brown Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula leucogaster

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~70%
2 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~70%
3 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~70%
4 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~60%
5 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~60%
6 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~60%
7 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~60%
8 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
9 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
10 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
11 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
12 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~20%
13 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
14 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
15 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
16 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
17 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
18 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
21 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
23 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
25 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
26 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
27 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
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