Marshside bird hide

[jo2hughes]

As an RSPB member of only a week I need some information pls. At the Marshside hide I saw what I thought were 3 cormoronts but through binoculars saw they were all different. One was an adult, one I think a juvenile and (after looking it up) I think one was a "sub species -PC sinensis. Bold white head plumes in spring" I have never seen this before where cormorants are. The white face had a dark ring around just above the beak. Is this bird common and if so has it a particular region- is it normal round Southport (NW England. All information gratefully received

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by jo2hughes

As an RSPB member of only a week I need some information pls. At the Marshside hide I saw what I thought were 3 cormoronts but through binoculars saw they were all different. One was an adult, one I think a juvenile and (after looking it up) I think one was a "sub species -PC sinensis. Bold white head plumes in spring" I have never seen this before where cormorants are. The white face had a dark ring around just above the beak. Is this bird common and if so has it a particular region- is it normal round Southport (NW England. All information gratefully received

Differentiating between the two races is very difficult, have a look here:

Cormorant subspecies identification

Cheers
Jonathan

[The Woodman]

Several year ago (poss. 12 yrs) I attended a talk by a RSPB warden who explained that the great increase in inland populations of cormorants on Windermere and Coniston were of the sinensis subsp.

The influx of Comorants to freshwater was laid at the door of sinensis.

I, to my regret, cannot remember the the whole content of the presentation but the Cormorant nesting platforms in the Solway were being used by sinensis.

I'm now wondering if the submitted cadavers taken under licence have been ID'd bby DNA to subsp level.

[jo2hughes]

Thanks very much for the info. Will use it to search further.