Loons?
Posted by Shirley Arner on April 13, 2006
Q: While at Holiday Beach this afternoon, I saw about 30 birds that looked like loons, but they did not have white markings on them. They had yellow beaks, and were a black-blue in colour.
Holiday Beach is in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Habitat: swamp
State: Ontario
Habitat: swamp
A: Your description and information were excellent!!! I'm quite sure the birds you saw were Double-crested Cormorants. These birds travel in flocks, are very good fish-catchers, and fit your description to a T. Take a look online at this species and see if this isn't what you saw. These cormorants have greatly increased in numbers in the last few decades and many people are a bit nervous. Fishermen are especially unhappy with this fisheater. We have 5 species of cormorants in North America but the Double-crested is the only one we see breeding in the Great Lakes. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( April 14, 2006)