Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cormorant Factoid

Did some checking on Cormorant facts and came up with these:
1. The Cormorant is protected under the 1916 Migratory Bird Treaty with Canada. (Some pond owners purport that it is a low-carb delicacy.) IM JOKING!!!
2. Cormorants eat primarily fish less than six inches. Cormorants prey on perch, walleye, small-mouth bass, northern pike, sunfish, bluegill, crappie, and other small fish depending on the cormorant’s location.
3. Cormorants eat on average one pound of fish per day in their adult lives. Thus, the concern is that the cormorant is substantially reducing the numbers of commercial and recreational fish available.
4. The cormorant, or crow-duck as referred to in Canada, can be found from Southwest Alaska as far south as the Gulf of Mexico when the cormorant migrates for the winter.
More info http://www.animallaw.info/articles/dduscormorantconflict.htm

Just think if you had raised some of those smart SMB from fry and you looked out and saw this :

There are six species of cormorants in North America. Everything we talk about and read here is about the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Does anyone know anything definative about the other species other than "they're all bad"?

I only know about the Phalacrocorax auritus (double-crested cormorant). They usually show up here in the spring and after I harrass them to a large degree, they don't return until the following year. Yes, I use a gun!

If they come to my pond, I hope they like lead. Because that's what they're getting.

Norm, I pretty sure one commorant is on the endangered species list or least a threatened species. Maybe local populaiton of others but the double crested far out number others and continue to raise. I really expect the USFWS to allow more liberal regulation soon they are really causing economic problems that are not going away.

I now warn clients if they want threadfin shad they proably will get comorants, seems to be a strong correlation. I have cut them open and found larger bass than woudl ever think they could swallow. It also seems where there are comoarnts the number of internal neamotades is higher as well which may negatviely effect growth.

ewest, I would have no choice but to quit my job and go to the full time defense of my smallies if I saw what was occuring in that picture.

Greg, do you have any experience with any species other than double-crested?

Those are very interesting observations. Do you or anyone else have any more observations like this?

Yes Greg, I agree, regulations about controlling double-crested cormorants are going to get more liberal. They're attacking many more public waters than private ones.

Norm,
I know this won't add much. I have Little Cormorants, I see them fishing in "little", 8' by 20 to 60 feet, 2 to 3' deep, ponds near me every day. I have never seen one in my pond. They some times fish within a 100 yards of me. There is a small pond about 50' from me that they never touch and I know there are fish in it. They fly over so they know I am here and yes, I count my blessings, now if I could just train the Chinese herons to leave me alone....

Norm I agree they effect public waters but not sure how much more. If you have a large pond (they need a runway) with a good fish populaiton seems they will showup. As you know on most ponds the populaiton/acre is hgiher than most public reservoirs. I think the private aquaculture business is going to push the more liberal regulations as well. At least I hope so. The sales of .17 cal rifles has went up for some reason, wonder why???

Superb observation, Greg. Superb. I can also completely support it. Every year (twice) that I stocked threadfins, I was infested with water turkeys. The last two years without shad, I just have not had any problems with the water turkeys. This past winter I saw only one bird which is the lowest number ever for me. Great observation!

Greg, as Meadowlark said, this is a great observation! I know so little about threadfin shad. In other areas where threadfin occur, are they hit hard by double-crested cormants also? Anyone else with observations?

Sunil said, I could have been ready at any time to say that Sunil was a total freak, but there's no question about it now. :p

Rad - OK, I am going to bite, Chinese herons?

http://search.pbase.com/search?q=chinese+heron&b=Search+Photos&c=sp
These guys are every where, thicker than cattle egrets. The only thing that saves me from mass destruction is that they are territoral. The birds here are very different than almost any I have ever experienced, this bird is usually found walking around in a field, as are most of the birds I would consider water fowl. I have Java herons, Little herons, Indian herons, little egret, intermediate egret, great egret, grey heron, purple heron, and a pair of open bill storks that stop by on they way north and then back south. Also white breasted waterhens, that never go near the water, to name a few. I think my area is similar to Bobad's in that we have lots low lying ground with plenty of surface water and a bunch of large birds along with the smaller ones.

Dwight, I think I've said this before...."It takes one to know one!"

Rad, again, it is fascinating to hear about your area. As far as I'm concerned, you can't add enough info. I love it!

Sunil – Repetition is important when dealing with your elders.

Here is and interesting study on cormorants, below is the web site
Impact of Double-crested Cormorant Depredation on the U.S. Farm-Raised ... (PDF)
... are less densely stocked at 5,000 to 10,000 fish per acre (Tucker and Robinson, 1990) ... learning to avoid catfish farms where. shooting was employed. ...srdc.msstate.edu/publications/230_catfish

I have a bit of negative evidence to add, for what it is worth. I have never stocked threadfin shad, and in the 15 years I have owned my 13.5 acre pond, I have never had a cormorant problem. We have a resident pair of blue herons, an otter once, and egrets in the early summer, but never a single cormorant. We have lived on the pond for the last 11 years, and I think I would have seen them if they had come.
Lou

Heronblu: It was 5+ years for us with no predators of any sort, and then this Spring the Merganzers hit in force and 3 Cormorants showed up right after I "persuaded" the Mergs to leave. A good point was made here on Cormorant "deterance." I found that though pretty persistant, the Cormorants do NOT like being shot at, not neccessarily shot dead. Again, being federally protected, harrassment is a better way. I believe that high-density fish populations have everything to do with drawing in the birds. My pond is at it's apex with a great fish balance and populations, but the residual (apparent) 'odor' from all those fish have even brought in a couple of regular Buzzards that hang at the down-wind corner looking for something that isn't there. I do know that they 'hunt' more by smell than by sight, so that same therory can be applied to what is (all the sudden) bringing in the Mergs and Cormorants also. That's just my common-sense approach to it all right now.