Los Angeles lake ducks and a cormorant (1 Viewer)

[Vicvroom]

There were 2 different ducks I couldn't ID with the Merlin app. I was at a large urban park with several lakes.

The first one is a diving duck that would go underwater for a while. Dark bill.


This is a different duck I couldn't ID. It was on land hanging out with Mallards




...and lastly, a cormorant. It was about 30 feet up in a tree. There were a lot of double breasted cormorants in the tree, but this one didn't have the orange going above his beak like the others.

 

[Butty]

Ruddy duck, domestic duck, and I pass on the fluffy cormorant.
As it's a nestling, and if there were grown-up double-crested cormorants in the tree, I shall take it to be a double-crested cormorant

 

[Microtus]

Ruddy duck, domestic duck, and I pass on the fluffy cormorant.
As it's a nestling, and if there were grown-up double-crested cormorants in the tree, I shall take it to be a double-crested cormorant

I agree on the ducks

 

[raymie]

I agree on the ducks and the cormorant is Double-crested.

 

[Earnest lad]

I don't know if this helps but the attached diagram shows what the shape of the gular patch should be for double crested cormorant

 

[Vicvroom]

That

I don't know if this helps but the attached diagram shows what the shape of the gular patch should be for double crested cormorant

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering if it could be a neotropic. Although it's a rare bird for this area, and I'm a pretty inexperienced birder, so I assume that everything I see should be common. There are reports of several neotropics at a park with a lake a few miles away (eBird alerts). Also, the illustrations and photos I've found for the double breasted all have the orange extending into the eye area.

 

[Butty]

Your birds are nestlings. So . . .

• From the very basic and limited info I have, Neotropic cormorant doesn't breed anywhere near LA (those with local knowledge may 'jump in' here).
• In using the shape, etc., of the bare facial skin in ID, you will need info on this feature in nestlings (not adults).

 

[peterginsburg]

Another factor to consider. Juvenile Double-crested Cormorants are generally pale breasted and at times quite so. Unless there is a lighting problem with the photo it appears that these birds are dark breasted. Food for thought.
Peter

 

[Butty]

Juvenile Double-crested Cormorants are generally pale breasted and at times quite so. Unless there is a lighting problem with the photo it appears that these birds are dark breasted.

These birds are nestlings, not juveniles - their body plumage here is (I think - anyone who disagrees may shout!) down, not feathers - and the juvenile body feathers are thus still to grow, and there is no necessity for them to be the same colour as the down they replace. Colour of juvenile body plumage is thus not relevant to identification of these birds.

 

[Earnest lad]

I dont know if this is helpful but since the birds are possibly under-exposed or silohouetted, I have cropped and lightened the photo. With the angle of the bird the bill is apparent foreshortened and could be fitting for DCC? Also Gular patch on further inspection to me now seems right shape for DCC especially if we consider it has foreshortening too owing to angle of orientation. Not that I have ever seen either of these species but am just looking at photos