The Leucistic Cormorant — Tales from the Riverbank
<p>Cormorants are a regular feature along the River Wensum.</p>
<p>I remember the first time I saw a cormorant (or shag, as they are sometimes referred to). It was standing with its wings spread out, and from a distance (without my glasses), I thought it was a bird that had encountered an oil spill.</p>
<p>Later, I was told, cormorants spread their wings like that to warm their hearts in the sun. It seemed like romanticism to me, so I looked it up and found this fascinating article from the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/crucifixion-of-the-cormorant-1582972.html" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Independent</a>. In brief, the cormorant spreads its wings wide in a crucifix-style pose to dry its feathers, which have to expel between 30 and 90 grammes of water from an average dive. Read the article; it explains the science in more depth.</p>
<p><a href="https://petrakidd.medium.com/the-leucistic-cormorant-tales-from-the-riverbank-77ad576553ce"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>