Feeding flights of breeding double-crested cormorants at two Wisconsin colonies

Journal of Field Ornithology
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Abstract

Unmarked Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) (n = 523) were followed by airplane from Cat Island and Spider Island, two nesting colonies in Wisconsin, to their first landing site. Cormorants flew an average of 2.0 km from Cat Island (maximum 40 km) and 2.4 km from Spider Island (maximum12 km). The mean direction of landing sites differed seasonally for fights from Spider Island, but not from Cat Island. Cormorants generally landed in Green Bay or Lake Michigan (>99%) and rarely landed in inland lakes or ponds. The most frequent (> 80%) water depth at landing sites for each colony was < 9,1 m. Water depths >9.l m were used less frequently than available within the maximum observed flight distance for each colony. The average flight speed for cormorants was 61 km/h.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Feeding flights of breeding double-crested cormorants at two Wisconsin colonies
Series title Journal of Field Ornithology
Volume 63
Issue 2
Year Published 1992
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Description 9 p.
First page 203
Last page 211
Country United States
State Wisconsin
County Door
Other Geospatial Spider Island
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