***Federal - MBTA***

    Cormorants are well known to fisherman as a competitor for fish.  Fish are Cormorants exclusive diet and they catch them with their long hooked bills.  Their strongly webbed feet are placed far back on their body to help them swim.  Cormorants as a whole are large birds with a long neck, most species are black.  They are often seen resting on top of the water or perched on land with their wings held open to dry.  Double-crested Cormorants are the most common in the state and have expanded their range as a breeding bird in recent years compelling the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to slaughter the birds in an effort to reduce the competition with sport fishermen.  There has not been any conclusive evidence that Cormorants have a more deleterious effect on fish populations than the fishermen themselves.  When in flight, Double-crested Cormorants show a distinct crook in the neck, which helps distinguish them from New York's other Cormarant, the Great Cormorant.  Great Cormorants are most common off of the Atlantic Coast in winter, but are being seen more frequently inland on Lake Ontario.