Wait until you learn about cormorants. Also how some fishermen use cormorants to fish for them. Amazing birds.
this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2025
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Chapotraphouse
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Learned about a new bird today.
I grew up watching them at the local bird park. They're amazing swimmers and swallow their prey whole. Like to bask in the sun to dry their wings out, spreading them wide.
Not sure if they ever come here to northeast usa, we got herons and I've seen them before at the local pond.
They hang out there during migration.
Some Chinese fisherman have trained them to fish for them which is pretty wild: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSI3pKNpLo
If I'm thinking of some symbiosis, the sound, sight and shadow of the boats probably scares the fish out of hiding/camouflage, which makes them easier for the cormorants to catch. And then humans figured out how to train the cormorants following the boats and gobbling up all the fish.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
From googling the US has the double crested cormorant, and they are present everywhere from Alaska to Florida. So that's pretty cool. Herons are also present where I live.
Seen a similar bird here. Was just watching it sit on a rock next to a swift mountain river and it just jumped in face first. Crazy to see when not expected, but it popped up a few seconds later.