Why do cormorants spread their wings? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Smith]

I went on a trip to Cley Marshes in Cley, Norfolk, UK on Sunday and took the attached photo of the common sight of a cormorant spreading its wings. It has since occurred to me that I have no idea why they do this.

Is it to dry them - surely they are going to be wet again very soon?

Is it a cooling effect? - or just the opposite to get warm in the Sun?

Other than Shags, other diving birds don't do this - or do they?

Dave

 

[Steve G]

Hi Dave,

I have heard that Cormorants rapidly digest fish & the resultant metabolic heat generated is dissipated by the wing-spreading & wind-cooling. Perhaps anyone out there with a thermal imaging camera can shed light (or heat) on this.

 

[Gill Osborne]

What a great photo! I adore cormorants...they just look SO prehistoric!!! I'd always thought that they spread their wings out to dry them inbetween dives so they didn't become too waterlogged but Steve's theory is one I've never heard before...but fascinating!!!

 

[Geoff Brown]

I have seen cormorants spread their wings in the most unlikely places such as on the top of telephone and electrical poles and although they are probably drying their wings they may well have them outspread to help their balance as they look such an ungainly bird in these situations!

 

[Michael Frankis]

Rubbish!!

Cormorants stretch their wings out even in pouring rain (so they can't be drying themselves)

Cormorants stretch their wings out even when they've not caught any fish (so it doesn't help them digest anything)

The REAL answer . . . .

Let's face it, they're FISHERMEN !!!

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"But you should've seen the one that got away!

I'm tellin' ya, it was THIS big!

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Honest!"

 

[birdman]

3 3 3

I think Michael's got it!

 

[pauco]

Nice one Michael.

 

[Steve G]

As I say Michael...... it's all hot air.

 

[christineredgate]

Herons spread their wings to dry also.I actually put a pic on the gallery of one.Someone viewed it and thought it was a porpoise!! Well it was not a good pic being a long way away,but the herons wings were spread around it like a ballet dancers tutu.In fact I think i named it "Come dance with me".I did read somewhere that the reason why cormorants do spread their wings is to enable their plumage to dry and retain the natural oils.
Christine.

 

[James]

We sometimes credit birds with intelligence that they do not have e.g. Herring Gulls stamping to simulate rain to bring up earth worms. They still do it when it is pouring down! Is it possible it is still a drying activity without the intelligence to see it isn't working Michael?

James

 

[CJW]

I must admit, I always thought it was a drying process as they don't have the natural oils to repel the water from their wings. I suppose if they're doing it in the rain, they could be cleaning them?

 

[Michael Frankis]

It is rare to see a single cormorant stretching its wings - usually they only do so when they can be seen by at least one other cormorant.

They gotta have a gullible audience they can tell their fishing tales to!

Michael

 

[CJW]

It is rare to see a single cormorant stretching its wings - usually they only do so when they can be seen by at least one other cormorant.
Michael

And you have the unmitigated gall to say other postings on this subject have been rubbish!

Individual birds regularly sit on the beaches here, with outstretched wings, with not another Cormorant in sight. Next you'll be suggesting they're displaying to the gathered throng of gulls and waders.
As for doing it in the rain, perhaps it is a way of getting clean water onto the feathers as part of their plumage care regime.
Sorry Michael, you seem to have lost the plot on this one.

 

[Dave Smith]

So it seems that I'm not the only one who does not know the answer.

I do like Michael's reply.3

 

[eric s]

I'm tempted to suggest it is them flashing the other birds/animals around.... but I think that Michael's guess is better.

I was told it had to do with the lack of certain oils in their feathers. But I don't know/remember where I learned that, so it could easily be wrong.

Eric

 

[Grousemore]

And you have the unmitigated gall to say other postings on this subject have been rubbish

Congratulations on becoming a Moderator,CJW,but doesn't the position mean you have to be nice to Michael?

 

[CJW]

Errrr....probably! I was only kidding.

 

[grouse]

In "Collins Bird Guide" the caption attached to an illustration of a cormorant with outspread wings reads "Drying wings"

 

[alan_rymer]

And you have the unmitigated gall to say other postings on this subject have been rubbish!

Individual birds regularly sit on the beaches here, with outstretched wings, with not another Cormorant in sight. Next you'll be suggesting they're displaying to the gathered throng of gulls and waders.
As for doing it in the rain, perhaps it is a way of getting clean water onto the feathers as part of their plumage care regime.
Sorry Michael, you seem to have lost the plot on this one.

You're all wrong!.

There are two well known and acknowledged reasons!.
Cormorants cannot bath on an ant hill as land birds often do. So:

1 It allows the dragonfly larvae to crawl out " They bite ".

2 It's not other Cormorants that they open thir wings to. In fact, it's only humans they open their wings to!. When humans and camera's are not around they never open their wings to show the size of the one that got away!

Huh!, Michael, C.J.W. James, Eric, Liz, Birdman etc.

You think we're all gullible?.

 

[CJW]

Going back to the original photo, I've just noticed how orange the gular patch is on the bird - now that would be interesting to follow up.....