Cormorants or Shags (1 Viewer)

[sooseee]

Was at Teignmouth at w/e- the sea was pretty rough and at different times and all within approx 20yds watched the above diving into the crests of waves, mostly, and skimming the tops of waves at times and returning to bob and dive again.I couldn't seee the head shape well enough and am not yet very experienced in id. If anyone has any ideas would be grateful.
Thanks , Sue.

 

[cinclus]

it 's very diffucult id this bird with a description of the behaviour without any shape details, but at last I think it cuold be a cormorant.

Umberto

 

[Tri-Counties Birder]

You're description of the dive sounds more like a Shag. This is because they tend to jump clear of the water when they dive, whereas a Cormorant would 'slip' into the water without too much of a splash (similar to a Diver).

Having said that however, its just as likely to be a Cormorant, maybe even more so as they are much commoner.

 

[bitterntwisted]

Having said that however, its just as likely to be a Cormorant, maybe even more so as they are much commoner.

Actually this is a popular misconception, occasioned presumably by Cormorants being more likely to be where people are. In particular Cormorants are very visible at reservoirs and lakes inland, and are found in the south-east where most people live. But actually Shags are much more numerous, just more pelagic and tending to be found west and north. And Devon and Cornwall are English strongholds.

RSPB site stats are:
(Great) Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
UK breeding: 7,600 pairs
UK wintering: 16,000 birds

Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis
UK breeding: 46,000 pairs
UK wintering: 100-150,000 birds

In Teignmouth, in the sea, Shag is more likely and the bahviour slightly suggests that but frankly it is impossible to call with any certainty.

Graham

 

[scary-canary]

RSPB site stats are:
(Great) Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo
UK breeding: 7,600 pairs
UK wintering: 16,000 birds

Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis
UK breeding: 46,000 pairs
UK wintering: 100-150,000 birds


Graham

When you look at the figures it's staggering (shaggering) that there are so few cormorants, as they seem to be everywhere now, inland at least.

 

[bitterntwisted]

When you look at the figures it's staggering (shaggering) that there are so few cormorants, as they seem to be everywhere now, inland at least.

Yeah, it's weird isn't it. I guess they are big and visible and they are possibly mostly inland because they can eat so readily at fishing lakes. But it is very surprising how few there actually are of many "common" birds. There are more people at a Luton home game than there are Great Crested Grebes in Britain in Winter? But there are up to 100,000 breeding pairs of Leach's Petrel! It's all about habitat, habits, distribution and visibility, not just numbers.

 

[sooseee]

Thanks everyone-amazed by RSPB stats-I'm one who always thought cormorants more common. Wish I could give a better shape description- maybe new bins for Christmas!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Cormorants are more widespread than Shags in the UK.
Shags are more numerous than Cormorants in the UK.
In depends what criteria you use as to which is the more common.

 

[Mickymouse]

Fascinating stuff, I have seen loads of Cormorants but only one definite Shag.

Mick

 

[David Bl]

When you look at the figures it's staggering (shaggering) that there are so few cormorants, as they seem to be everywhere now, inland at least.

I don't believe those stats.

OTOH, I've just (since writing the first line of this post( looked up Wiki, and find that according to that 3% of the Brit breeding population of cormorants is about 2 miles away from where I live, so that might explain why I see a lot more cormorants than shags.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Margaret's_Island

David

 

[paulwfromtheden]

I don't believe those stats.

OTOH, I've just (since writing the first line of this post( looked up Wiki, and find that according to that 3% of the Brit breeding population of cormorants is about 2 miles away from where I live, so that might explain why I see a lot more cormorants than shags.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Margaret's_Island

David

At Dawlish Warren a couple of weeks ago (just along the coast from Teignmouth), all the 'black seabirds' were Cormorants.
However, I agree, telling the difference at long range takes much practice!

 

[Frenchy]

Its funny really. Shags are quite scarce down here in The Wash, but where i've lived previously on Shetland and in Devon, i've had loads of shags.

Luck of the draw i guess....

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Its funny really. Shags are quite scarce down here in The Wash, but where i've lived previously on Shetland and in Devon, i've had loads of shags.

Luck of the draw i guess....

It's probably just that you're getting a bit past it nowadays.

 

[paulwfromtheden]

It's probably just that you're getting a bit past it nowadays.

:'D :'D My fingers have been hovering over the keyboard, but I didn't have the bottle to do it.
Fancy having a bird called a shag! Oops I've gone and done it myself!

 

[Frenchy]

3

I know its childish, but its a Friday, and i couldn't resist!!

Its lucky i didn't mention Great Tits and vagrant boobies.....

 

[Tri-Counties Birder]

As soon as I as I saw this thread I wondered how long it would take before someone would lower the tone!

It's probably just that you're getting a bit past it nowadays.

Thanks Andrew! :gn:


Incidently, I remember reading somewhere that Shag were in fact commoner (in terms of numbers) in Britain than Cormorant, I was just testing. (o)<

 

[Allen S. Moore]

:'D :'D My fingers have been hovering over the keyboard, but I didn't have the bottle to do it.
Fancy having a bird called a shag!

I think that the name came from the Vikings.

 

[sooseee]

Finally think I've answered my own question! Up on estuary between Bideford and Instow this pm-was able to watch cormorants . Larger than last weeks birds at Teignmouth , different head shape. Won't make any comments about scarcity of shags in North Devon etc and carry on like Frenchy and co....