Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus), Bill Williams Arm of Lake Havasu, Mohave County

This Neotropic Cormorant (red arrow) is presumably the same bird Paul Lehman found back in early November 2008.  It was photographed by David Vander Pluym on 3 December 2008. 

This species has increased dramatically in recent years in central Arizona (see article here) but remains rare on the Lower Colorado River Valley and is a review species in California (the border of which is about 2 miles from this spot as the cormorant flies). 

Although it is a bad and distant photo (the bird was on the other side of the Bill Williams Arm), you can see its much smaller size (very apparent in the field) and longer proportional tail in comparison to the Double-crested Cormorants. In the scope you could see some white ear tufts of an alternate plumaged bird. A reduced amount of orange skin on the face and a hint of the white border.

03 December 2008, photo by David Vander Pluym

All photographs copyright© by the photographer.