Sunday, August 7, 2011

"Gargling"

The birds on the left and right in this silhouette are double-crested cormorants.  The one on the left is performing a breeding display termed "gargling,"  where the head is thrown back to reveal the bird's brightly-colored gular pouch.  While not as large, it is the same type of pouch as that of pelicans.  The cormorant on the right was the only other one in sight and is probably the object of the display.  It is also displaying an "abnormal" head-down posture.

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