They have long
bodies, long necks, long beaks
with a hooked upper mandible,
completely webbed feet, short
legs and wedge-shaped tails.
Plumage is predominantly black
with a greenish or bronze
sheen in both sexes.
Called "duck-crows"
by early settlers, cormorant
populations have undergone
dramatic changes over the
last three decades. Cormorant
populations crashed during
the 1960's and 1970's, as
a result of widespread use
of toxic chemicals such as
DDT and PCBs. DDT has been
linked to reproductive failure
and eggshell thinning in many
species of birds, while PCBs
have been linked to deformities.
Cormorant are
easily seen on the Seal Rocks
near the Cliff House in San
Francisco.
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