Those same ghosts that haunted them before, in the form of allegations that they harm fish populations, still swirl in the air each time their name is mentioned. It could, were it not for the fact that DCCOs still face some significant challenges. You’d think that would mean that all is well, and our story could end with a “And they all lived happily ever after.” There’s no doubt, the cormorant population has turned a corner. Birders counted 94 DCCOs in 2015, the most recent year for which data is available. Three more were spotted during the 1989 spring count, and the birds have been seen in every year since. According to Kane County Audubon’s Spring Bird Count data, no cormorants were noted from 1972, the year Kane County spring counts began, until 1986, when three birds were sighted. In our area, similar increases were noted. From 12 nests in two trees in Carroll County in 1974, the birds’ Illinois breeding population grew to 16 nests in 1978 and more than 110 in 1984. Wildlife management teams lent a hand too, constructing artificial nesting platforms in known breeding areas along the Mississippi. The protection afforded by the Endangered status, along with North American bans on DDT and various other chemicals, as well as the passage of the Clean Water Act, helped DCCOs begin their recovery. But then, slowly, things began to change. The future looked grim for this enigmatic bird. DCCOs’ scant numbers plummeted even further, to the point where in 1960 they were added to the Illinois Endangered Species list. Uncurbed pollution drove fish populations down and made suitable habitat hard to find. The use of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and other pesticides compounded in the food chain and resulted in a reduction in nesting success-not just for cormorants, but other birds too, most notably the bald eagle.Ĭoncurrently, water quality was on the skids. Regarded as threats to fishermen’s livelihoods, they dubbed the birds an uncomplimentary and unprintable nickname and summarily trapped, poisoned and shot as many as they could find.Īs the 20th Century progressed, so did humans’ impact on the environment-and on DCCOs. A few pairs nested along the Illinois River although, seemingly, no one was happy about it. If we were to step back in time a hundred years or so, we’d find that double-crested cormorants, or DCCOs, were common in Illinois during spring and fall migrations but otherwise maintained a low profile. But they do tell a remarkable story: Persecuted. This week though, as we continue our exploration, the descriptors don’t flow quite as lyrically. Last week when we looked at double-crested cormorants, we were lucky enough to have a TV show theme song that described this familiar, fish-eating species almost to a T: (da-da-da dum, snap-snap) Creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky… (Photo credit: Steve Hillebrand/USFWS)ĭouble-Crested Cormorants, Part 2 July 28, 2017 The species has seen a number of ups and downs and previously was listed as endangered in Illinois, but today enjoys healthy population numbers. Double-crested cormorants sit low in the water, a trait that helps distinguish them from other waterfowl.
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