Cormorant landing !!

 

From a distance, mistook her to be a duck but google image search revealed it to be a variety of Cormorant !!

 

மயிலை ஸ்ரீகேசவப்பெருமாள் திருக்குளத்தில், அந்த பறவை, சர்ரென்று தண்ணீரில் இறங்கியதை கண்டதும் காதல் கொண்டேன். மனதுக்குள் வாலியின் MGR cinema  அன்பே வா வரிகள் இசைத்தன : 

வான்பறவை தன் சிறகை எனக்கு தந்தால் பூங்காற்றே உன் உதவியும் எனக்கிருந்தால்,

வானத்திலே பறந்து சென்றே போனவளை அழைத்து வந்தே காதலை வாழ வைப்பேன்

 

"Cormorant" is a contraction derived either directly from Latin corvus marinus, "sea raven", or through Brythonic Celtic. Cormoran is the Cornish name of the sea giant in the tale of Jack the Giant Killer. Indeed, "sea raven" or analogous terms were the usual terms for cormorants in Germanic languages until after the Middle Ages. The French explorer André Thévet commented in 1558: "the beak [is] similar to that of a cormorant or other corvid", which demonstrates that the erroneous belief that the birds were related to ravens lasted at least to the 16th century.  

The pelagic cormorant (Urile pelagicus), also known as Baird's cormorant or violet-green cormorant, is a small member of the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae.. This seabird lives along the coasts of the northern Pacific; during winter it can also be found in the open ocean.  Pelagic cormorants have relatively short wings due to their need for economical movement underwater, and consequently have the highest flight costs of any bird.  

On land, pelagic cormorants are rather clumsy and walk with the high-stepped waddling gait; after landing they often scratch the ground, as is typical for cormorants. When they feel threatened, they will dart their bills at the intruder, and shake their heads and make a gargling noise. This bird forages by swimming to locate prey, then diving and going after it underwater, propelled by its feet and steering with the wings. It can dive as deep as 140 ft (43 m) to feed on or near the seafloor. 

Interesting !

With regards – S Sampathkumar
17.1.2024