Springtime Birdwatching in La Jolla Cove 🌸 (San Diego, CA)

April 10, 2021

^{California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi)}

April showers bring May flowers, but April also brings breeding cormorants and new life to La Jolla, California. La Jolla Cove is a popular tourist destination, primarily for its views of resident California sea lions scattered along the beach. Often overlooked are dozens of cormorant nests lying atop the surrounding rocky cliffs, filled with eggs and newly-hatched birds.

Six species of cormorants are native to North America. Brandt’s Cormorants and Double-crested Cormorants, both featured in this post, are found along the West Coast. Similar-looking at first glance, Brandt’s Cormorant’s golden-brown chin patch stands out quite a bit from the Double-crested Cormorant’s bright orange facial skin.

Adult Brandt’s Cormorants develop purple throat pouches during the breeding season, present on the adults in the photographs below.

^{Brandt’s Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus): Note adult’s purple throat pouch}

^{Brandt’s Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus): Note adult’s purple throat patch}

Double-crested Cormorants display tufts of white feathers on either side of their heads, as well as blue on the inside of their mouths, during the breeding season. The tufts and blue coloration disappear promptly after breeding, as do the Brandt’s Cormorants’ purple throat patches.

^{Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus): Note white tufts on side of head}

^{Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus): Note blue on inside of mouth}

Brandt’s Cormorants and Double-crested Cormorants are sexually monomorphic, meaning males and females look similar. Since both parents aid in incubating and feeding their young, it’s often difficult to determine who is mom and who is dad when both are present at the nest.

^{Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)}

The Brandt’s Cormorant above was flying back and forth between ocean and land, delivering nesting material to his partner.

^{Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)}

It was warm outside this particular day, so many of the cormorants stood with their bills open to release heat. In another effort to counteract heat, the Double-crested Cormorant above is standing over his or her eggs to protect them with shade. On cold days, breeding cormorants often stand on top of their eggs to incubate them with their webbed feet.