Species: Phalacrocorax aristotelis = Crested Cormorant. Crested cormorant - description, habitat, interesting facts Habitats of the long-crested cormorant
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CRESTED CORMORANT
Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Spreading: Murmansk coast of the Kola Peninsula. Until the end of the 20s. to the north Scandinavia was found only as far as the Varangerfjord. IN 1929 . non-breeding birds were recorded on the islands of the Semiostrovsky archipelago. Later he settled on the islands and coasts of the East. and Zap. Murman. Outside Russia, it lives in Iceland and along the Atlantic coast of Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the north-west. coast of Africa.
Habitat:It is associated with land only during the breeding season; the rest of the time it spends in the sea near the coast. The main wintering grounds for birds nesting on Murman are the coastal regions of the West. Murman and Sev. Norway. It usually nests in small colonies, less often in single pairs. Most nests are located in hard-to-reach places on small ledges of steep cliffs or in niches under stones, often close to the ground. The building material for the nest is dry grass and algae. The nest has been used for many years in a row. The timing of the start of nesting is determined by clearing the nest site from snow. In late spring, non-breeding of part of the population may occur. The clutch size on Murman is 2-3 eggs, on average 2.5. The average brood size by the time the chicks fledge is 1.9 chicks. Puberty occurs at 3 years. Breeding success varies greatly from year to year, and the proportion of birds surviving in a given year remains almost unchanged at about 0.9.
Number:World population of the subspecies Ph. a. aristotelis (which also includes Russian birds) in the North. Europe is estimated at 250 thousand individuals. To the East Murman, the first nest of the crested cormorant was found in 1932 . on o. Kharlov. TO 1939 . 44 pairs nested here, but during the war years this colony ceased to exist due to disturbance by people; later, only individual birds nested irregularly on this island. The colony moved to the island. Veshnyak and to this day in the Semiostrovie region, cormorants constantly breed only on this island. TO 1977 . their number here increased to 80 pairs, but in 1979 . has sharply decreased and to this day remains at the level of 25-30 nests annually. On the mainland in the area of Dvorovaya Bay (eastern border of distribution) in 1978 . there were about 35 breeding pairs, when counted in 1992 . Only 2 nests were found. On the Gavrilovsky Islands, from the moment of the first registration in 1978 . to date, there has been a constant increase in numbers from 20 to 94 pairs per 1994 . On the mainland near the Gavrilov Islands near Cape Shelpinskaya Pakhta in 1989-1992. 5 pairs nested. To the West Murmansk colonies appeared only in the late 70s. To the south coast of the Varangerfjord in the bays of Bazarnaya and Pechenga in 1978-1982. About 30-40 pairs reproduced. IN 1979 . For the first time, 5 pairs nested on the Ainu Islands. Since then, the population here has been constantly growing, 1994 . 135 pairs of them nested, in 1997 . on o. Maly Ainove - more than 300 pairs. Another 6 breeding pairs were noted in 1992 . at the Gorodetsky Bazaar (Rybachy Peninsula). It is possible that the increase in numbers in the West. Murman and its reduction to the East. Murmansk was caused by a more favorable situation with fish feed in the West. parts of the coast, while to the east. since the mid-70s There was a deep depression in fish stocks, which negatively affected the resources of all fish-eating birds. Thus, currently about 500 pairs of crested cormorants nest on Murman, and their numbers continue to increase, although redistribution of colonies across the territory is observed. Information about an alleged sharp decline in the number of these birds on Murman is based on a misunderstanding: when taking into account 1960 . the total number of two species of cormorants - crested and great - was given. The main limiting factors are disturbance of birds at nesting sites, a decrease in fish stocks in the sea, which leads to the non-nesting of part of the population or a change in nesting sites, death in fishing nets at wintering sites, and pollution of the sea with oil products.
Taxonomic affiliation: Class - Birds (Aves), series - Pelicaniformes (Pelecaniformes), family - Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae). The species of the polytypic genus, one of the 3 species of the genus in the fauna of Ukraine, is represented by the Mediterranean subspecies - P. a. desmarestii.
Conservation status of the species: Vanishing.
Range of the species and its distribution in Ukraine: N. shores of the Kola and Scandinavian Peninsulas, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, France, Spain and Portugal, shores and islands of the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas, p. coast of Africa. In Ukraine, it nests in the Crimea (Tarkhankut Peninsula, southern Coast, southern Kerch Peninsula).
Number and reasons for its change In Europe, the number is 75-81 thousand pairs. There are about 850-900 couples in Crimea, incl. OK. 500 pairs on Tarkhankut. Winter density is 2-11 individuals per 1 km of coastal water area.
Reasons for the decrease in numbers:: sea pollution with oil products, a factor of concern.
Features of biology and scientific significance: Sedentary appearance. Outside the nesting areas I came across the village. Crimea. Inhabits rocky seashores - cliffs and islands. The feeding biotope is a two-kilometer strip in the coastal waters. Monogamous. The sex ratio is approximately equal. It nests in separate pairs and groups. The nest is made up of plant debris - branches, hard stems of grass, algae. Egg laying lasts from late February to May. There are 1-5 eggs in a clutch, usually 3. Both partners incubate. The duration of incubation is 28 days, the success of incubation is about 65%. There are 1-3 chicks in a brood. Ascent to the wings at the age of 60 days. Puberty at 2-3 years of age. It feeds on fish (gobies, gerbil, silverside smarida, wrasse, etc.), and rarely small crustaceans. The method of feeding is diving.
Morphological characteristics: The body is slim. Body length - 65-80 cm, wingspan - 90-105 cm, body weight - 1.7-2.1 kg. The plumage of adults is completely black with a metallic green tint. In wedding attire (in winter and until the end of spring) there is a crest on the head. The beak and legs are dark, the bare skin around the beak is yellow. The young are brown above, the belly, neck and chin are light.
Population conservation regime and protection measures: Listed in the CCU (1994), Annex III of the convention. Protected in the Karadag and Opuk reserves. Included in the list of rare and endangered species and subspecies, most of whose habitats are in Europe (EEC Bird Conservation Directive), in the Red Book of the Black Sea. It is necessary to create the Tarkhankutsky Nature Reserve and strengthen the protection of existing environmental areas.
Reproduction and breeding in specially created conditions: No information.
Economic and commercial significance: No information.
Appearance and behavior. A large seabird the size of a goose. Body length 68–78 cm, wingspan 95–110 cm, weight approximately 2 kg. The plumage is black with a metallic sheen. It takes off with difficulty, usually from a cliff or cliff, or from water - after a long run. The flight is difficult, with frequent flapping of the wings. In flight, it extends its long neck and legs. He walks poorly on the ground, holding his body upright. Forced to dry the plumage for a long time, sitting on stones and spreading its wings. Swims and dives well, the landing position on the water is low, in swimming birds only the head and a small part of the body are visible. School look. He is careful, he doesn’t let people get close.
Description. Males and females in breeding plumage have a small black crest on the front of the head, the feathers of which are curved forward at the top. The plumage is black with a green metallic sheen. The back feathers and wing coverts are edged with shiny velvety black, forming a scaly pattern. Legs are black. The beak is black; during the mating season, and sometimes after it, a yellow spot stands out on the area of bare skin at the base of the lower jaw. The lower jaw is yellowish. Eyes are green. In winter plumage, the plumage color of adult birds does not change, but the crest disappears.
In young birds, the upperparts are black with a faint green metallic sheen. The upper wing coverts are edged along the contour with dark stripes. The chin is off-white. The neck is brown with small spots. The underside of the body is dirty white with sparse blurry spots on the chest and sides of the belly. The flight feathers and tail feathers are dark brown, without shine. Legs are pinkish. The beak is brown with a dark stripe along the ridge of the beak. At the age of one year, the upper side of the body has a green metallic sheen. The wings are dark brown, with fawn edges of the flight coverts, which in a flying bird form a pale stripe on the wing. The underside of the body is brown, without streaks or shine. The chin is off-white. Legs are brown.
It differs from other birds in flight by its black color and long, rounded tail. They differ from adult birds in their smaller size, thinner and longer beak, the absence of white spots on the throat and side in their breeding plumage, and the presence of a crest on the forehead. Young birds are distinguished by a dark belly, a thinner beak and small feathers sticking out on the forehead (in young cormorants, feathers stick out on the back of the head, closer to the back of the head).
Distribution, status. The range covers the sea coast of Western Europe from the Kola Peninsula to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Distribution is generally sporadic; in the south he leads a sedentary lifestyle, in the north he leads a nomadic life. In European Russia there are 2 subspecies: Mediterranean long-crested cormorant Ph. A. desmarestii(breeds on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus) and Atlantic long-crested cormorant Ph. A. aristotelis(breeds on the Murmansk coast). Birds of different subspecies differ in the color of their swimming membranes (brown and black, respectively), the length of their beak and crest. On the Murmansk coast, the crested cormorant is a rare breeding species. It migrates along the coast of Scandinavia in a southwestern direction; some birds remain to spend the winter on the Murmansk coast. It occurs along the Russian coast of the Black Sea during the period of autumn migrations; at this time, bird registrations are possible along the coast of the Azov Sea.
Lifestyle. A seabird associated with land only during the breeding season, the rest of the time it spends in the sea off the coast. It prefers to nest on rocky coasts, islands and isolated rocks in the sea. It nests in colonies, often together with other cormorants, gulls and guillemots. The nest is built from branches, algae and grass, usually in rock crevices, in niches and under stones. Open nests are rare. The clutch most often contains 3 blue eggs, covered with a white calcareous layer. Both parents incubate for a month.
The chicks hatch naked and blind, the development of plumage is slow, at first the chick is covered with dark gray down, then blackish-brown, somewhat lighter on the head and neck. The bare skin around the eyes is dark, in the corners of the mouth and on the lower jaw it is dirty yellow. The eyes are light brown. Legs brownish-black. The chicks leave the nest at the age of two months. Eats fish. Usually hunts alone.
Crested or long-nosed cormorant ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis)
The crested cormorant, also called the long-billed cormorant, belongs to the order Copepods, family Cormorantidae.
The Crested Cormorant is a medium-sized bird with a graceful and slender body with a thin beak. The plumage is black, with a greenish metallic sheen.
During the mating season, the crested cormorant has a noticeable dark crest on its head. This feature is reflected in the species name of the bird - crested cormorant. The birds' beak and paws are dark, and the area of skin adjacent to the beak is yellowish. The skin around the eyes is dark and devoid of feathers. The corners of the mouth and chin are yellow. The area above the beak of a cormorant is black. The wing length is 26.5 – 29.5 cm. Young birds are covered with brownish feathers on top and lighter underneath.
Distribution of crested cormorants
In Russia, the crested cormorant lives only in the north of the Kola Peninsula to the mouth of the Iokanga River. In the north of the Scandinavian Peninsula only up to the Varanger Fiord, it appeared in the area of the Seven Islands archipelago. Currently, the main colonies of the crested cormorant are concentrated in several places in Eastern Murman, mainly in the Semiostrovsky and Gavrilovsky sections of the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve.
In addition, there are small settlements in the west of Murman. Outside the territory of Russia, the crested cormorant lives in Ukraine and Iceland, the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe, the western coast of Asia Minor, and the northwestern coast of Africa.
Habitats of the Long-crested Cormorant
Crested cormorants are found exclusively on the coastal high, steep cliffs of the islands and sea coasts of the mainland. They settle in places free from colonies of guillemots and kittiwakes. Nests are located on small ledges, in niches, on cornices, in crevices, under large boulders, 15 - 20 meters from the top of the rock.
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Crested cormorant migrations
The crested cormorant spends most of its time in the sea near the coast; it appears on land only during the nesting period. The birds winter in Southern Norway and the coastal areas of Western Murman, and roam seasonally along the shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Features of the behavior of the long-billed cormorant
Crested cormorants are excellent swimmers, they dive deeply, but they fly with difficulty and do not stay in the air for long before taking off; the birds jump from a cliff or ledge. And to take off from the surface of a reservoir, crested cormorants first run for a long time and only then rise into the air. Crested cormorants catch fish by diving very deep, sometimes up to 20 meters.
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Listen to the voice of the crested cormorant
In their natural habitat, the birds are very silent and emit a rare wheeze only in case of disturbance or while feeding the chicks in the nest. Crested cormorants are exclusively marine sedentary or nomadic birds. They rarely visit inland waters. Unlike other cormorants, crested birds prefer to hunt almost at the bottom, so they cannot be found in the sea at great depths.
Number of crested cormorants
The global population of the crested cormorant, which includes Russian birds, in Northern Europe numbers about 250 thousand individuals. Currently, no more than 150-200 pairs of crested cormorants nest on Murman. Their numbers decreased by almost 4 times compared to 1960 data. Due to the small number of birds, a redistribution of colonies is observed throughout the species’ habitat.
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Nesting cormorants
Crested cormorants nest in small colonies, less often in single pairs. They place their nests in hard-to-reach places on small ledges of steep cliffs or in secluded corners under stones, often near the surface. Building material for the nest is collected nearby using dry grass and algae. The nests are built carelessly, large, and bulky. The buildings consist of juniper branches, willows, and dry fucus thallus. The tray is lined with dry grass and crowberry stems.
Birds nest in the same place for several years in a row. The timing of the start of nesting depends on the melting of the snow cover and the appearance of snow-free areas. During a prolonged spring, part of the crested cormorant population does not reproduce. There are usually 2-3 eggs in a clutch. The average size of the brood by the time the chicks fledge is 2 chicks.
Puberty occurs at 3 years. Breeding success is highly dependent on weather conditions, and the proportion of offspring surviving in a given year remains almost unchanged. Chicks are born from the shell of eggs completely naked. They are covered with dark brownish skin with a pale yellow area under the beak, and webbed feet are visible. Gradually, the chicks become covered with brownish-black feathers.
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Reasons for the decline in the number of long-crested cormorants
Crested cormorants are birds with a narrow food specialization, feeding only on fish. In addition, these birds have specific requirements for nesting sites. Therefore, crested cormorants nest intermittently, and the distribution of the species in nature is quite limited. The birds are characterized by low fertility, usually 2-3 eggs in a clutch, and the chicks do not leave the nest for a long time, which is probably due to the harsh climatic conditions in which crested cormorants live.
Due to these reasons, in years with unfavorable factors and a lack of food, successful breeding of birds can hardly be expected. The main reasons for the decrease in the number of the rare species of cormorants are due to human activity, and first of all, the disturbance factor influences it, as disturbed birds abandon hatched clutches.
The decline in numbers may be influenced by a decrease in food supply, water pollution with oil products, uncontrolled hunting, destruction of nests by predators, a decrease in fish stocks in the sea, which leads to the appearance of non-breeding birds or a change in nesting sites, and death in fishing nets at wintering sites.
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Conservation and status of crested cormorants
The crested cormorant is a small and rare species with a limited distribution, the numbers of which are declining alarmingly quickly. 2nd category.
The crested cormorant is protected on the Gavrilovsky, Ainovsky and Seven Islands of the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve. Hunting of the crested cormorant is prohibited. The species is included in the list of birds subject to full protection in the Murmansk region and in the seas surrounding it.
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Aves. Order: Pelicanaceae Family: Cormorants Genus: Cormorants Species: Crested cormorant Scientific name - Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Linnaeus, 1761) Rarity category: 3 - a rare species on the periphery of its range.
Phalacrocorax aristotelis Linnaeus, 1761
Spreading: Murmansk coast of the Kola Peninsula. Until the end of the 20s. to the north Scandinavia was found only as far as the Varangerfjord. In 1929, non-breeding birds were recorded on the islands of the Semiostrovsky Archipelago. Later he settled on the islands and coasts of the East. and Zap. Murman. Outside Russia, it lives in Iceland and along the Atlantic coast of Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the north-west. coast of Africa.
Habitat: It is associated with land only during the breeding season; the rest of the time it spends in the sea near the coast. The main wintering grounds for birds nesting on Murman are the coastal regions of the West. Murman and Sev. Norway. It usually nests in small colonies, less often in single pairs. Most nests are located in hard-to-reach places on small ledges of steep cliffs or in niches under stones, often close to the ground.
The building material for the nest is dry grass and algae. The nest has been used for many years in a row. The timing of the start of nesting is determined by clearing the nest site from snow. In late spring, non-breeding of part of the population may occur. The clutch size on Murman is 2-3 eggs, on average 2.5. The average brood size by the time the chicks fledge is 1.9 chicks. Puberty occurs at 3 years. Breeding success varies greatly from year to year, and the proportion of birds surviving in a given year remains almost unchanged at about 0.9.
Number: World population of the subspecies Ph. a. aristotelis (which also includes Russian birds) in the North. Europe is estimated at 250 thousand individuals. To the East In Murman, the first nest of the crested cormorant was found in 1932 on the island. Kharlov. By 1939, 44 pairs nested here, but during the war years this colony ceased to exist due to disturbance by people; later, only individual birds nested irregularly on this island.
The colony moved to the island. Veshnyak and to this day in the Semiostrovie region, cormorants constantly breed only on this island. By 1977, their number here increased to 80 pairs, but in 1979 it sharply decreased and to this day remains at the level of 25-30 nests annually. On the mainland in the area of Dvorovaya Bay (eastern distribution limit) in 1978 there were about 35 breeding pairs; when counting in 1992, only 2 nests were found.
On the Gavrilovsky Islands, from the moment of the first census in 1978 to the present, there has been a constant increase in the number from 20 to 94 pairs in 1994. On the mainland near the Gavrilovsky Islands near Cape Shelpinskaya Pakhta in 1989-1992. 5 pairs nested. To the West Murmansk colonies appeared only in the late 70s. To the south coast of the Varangerfjord in the bays of Bazarnaya and Pechenga in 1978-1982. About 30-40 pairs reproduced. In 1979, for the first time, 5 pairs nested on the Ainu Islands.
Since then, the number here has been constantly growing; in 1994, 135 pairs nested; in 1997, on the island. Maly Ainove - more than 300 pairs. Another 6 breeding pairs were noted in 1992 at the Gorodetsky Bazaar (Rybachy Peninsula). It is possible that the increase in numbers in the West. Murman and its reduction to the East. Murmansk was caused by a more favorable situation with fish feed in the West. parts of the coast, while to the east. since the mid-70s There was a deep depression in fish stocks, which negatively affected the resources of all fish-eating birds.
Thus, currently about 500 pairs of crested cormorants nest on Murman, and their numbers continue to increase, although redistribution of colonies across the territory is observed. Information about an alleged sharp decline in the number of these birds on Murman is based on a misunderstanding: when counting in 1960, the total number of two species of cormorants was given - crested and great. The main limiting factors are disturbance of birds at nesting sites, a decrease in fish stocks in the sea, which leads to the non-nesting of part of the population or a change in nesting sites, death in fishing nets at wintering sites, and pollution of the sea with oil products.
Security: All large colonies of crested cormorants are located on the islands of the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve (Ainov, Gavrilovsky and Seven Islands), where they are strictly protected.
Source: 1. Sudilovskaya, 1951; 2. Tatarinkova et al., 1983; 3. Modestov, 1967; 4. Shklyarevich, Tatarinkova, 1986; 5. Harris et al., 1994; 6. Rose, Scott, 1994; 7. Spangenberg, 1941; 8. Butyev, 1983; 9. Gerasimova, 1962.
Compiled by: I.P. Tatarinkova.
Photo. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w /index.php?curid=284797
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see also
1.
Birds of the Red Book... (animalia) type: chordates class: birds - aves. order: pelicanidae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: small cormorant scientific name - phalacrocorax ...
2.
Birds of Russia class: birds order: pelicanidae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: small cormorant small cormorant - phalacrocorax pygmaeus appearance. small...
3.
Red Book of the Krasnodar Territory/Animals listed in the Red Book of Krasnodar Region. systematic position class: birds - aves order: copepods - pelecaniformes family: cormorants - phalacrocoracidae. species: little cormorant - phalacrocorax pygmaeus (pallas, 1773) status. ...
4.
Birds of Russia class: birds order: pelicanaceae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: crested cormorant crested cormorant - phalacrocorax aristotelis appearance. ...
5.
Birds of Russia class: birds order: pelicanaceae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: red-faced cormorant red-faced cormorant - phalacrocorax urile external...
6.
Birds of Russia class: birds order: pelicanidae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: Bering cormorant Bering cormorant - phalacrocorax pelagicus appearance. ...
7.
Birds of the Red Book... (animalia) type: chordates class: birds - aves. order: pelicanidae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: crested cormorant scientific name - phalacrocorax ...
8.
Birds of Russia class: birds order: pelicanaceae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: Ussuri cormorant Ussuri cormorant - phalacrocorax filamentosus external...
9.
Birds of Russia class: birds order: pelicanidae family: cormorants genus: cormorants species: great cormorant great cormorant - phalacrocorax carbo appearance. ...
10.
Red Book of the Krasnodar Territory/Animals listed in the Red Book of Krasnodar Region.