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Meet the Cape Cormorant

A Cape cormorant chick sticks its beak out of a box at the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds.
A Cape cormorant chick sticks its beak out of a box at the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. Photo: Rodger Bosch / AFP (Getty Images)

The Cape cormorant is native to southern Africa and is abundant on the west coast. Cormorants appear to be black birds from a distance, but upon closer inspection actually have plumage with a bluish sheen. The plumage is iridescent in breeding adults. Interestingly, adult cormorants have turquoise eyes with blue beads on their eyelids—those are amazing bird eyes—while juveniles have gray eyes. Cormorants can also be distinguished by the yellow-orange gape at the base of their bills.

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