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Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus

Adult form, 50-55cm in size.

Would it also be correct to say that the Reed Cormorant prefers fresh water dams and lakes and avoids salt water estuaries and bays.

Not necessarily. Here at Schoenies there are many Reed Cormorants that frequent the rock pools along the coast, often in association with Little Egrets, which also mostly considered fresh water birds.

Following on my earlier note, these two seemed to be fishing in tandem in a rock pool in front of our house. Note that both the Reed Cormorant and the Little Egret are in breeding plumage (photo taken in late October).

Thanks for sending those interesting pic's j-ms

Well... Sasol (2nd edition) states: "A freshwater cormorant rarely seen at the coast"
But according to j-ms they are pretty common in his area. I haven't seen them along the coast but I do see them regularly along the firewater's of Flamingo Vlei (Cape Town).

Reed cormorant in Kruger NP


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Hi, we camped in Berg-En-Dal and one day we were sitting at the water and found these 3,at first, it was just the 2 of them and then it was all 3 together, I know the Afrikaans names but unfortunately I don’t have my bird book with me for the English names.

I just wanted to share it with you........

Reed Cormorant, Fulvous Duck, African Jacana. Nice shots

Thanks Deefstes, I am in the proses of learning the name in English, some of the names are completely different from Afrikaans to English, but I will get there eventually!!!

It's a crying shame really but I've been birding with souties so much that I've started to forget some of the Afrikaans names again. How shocking is that!

But you have to agree that the Afrikaans names are so often just much better than the English names. These three birds are cases in point. What exactly is a "Cormorant"? Doesn't the name "Duiker" just describe the bird so much better. "Fulvous Duck" vs "Fluiteend", again the Afrikaans name wins hands down. "Jacana" vs "Langtoon", I rest my case.

Seen at the Lower Sabie bridge in Feb this year.
Imm. Reed Cormorant.

Large

Large

Here is a Reed Cormorant taken at a freshwater dam. I just love the face.

What a stunning pic Touareg.

A beautiful picture Robbie.
Here are some Cormorants I have painted a few years back.