| Lake Champlain Colonial
Waterbird Database Project
Double-crested Cormorant
The Double-crested Cormorant is one of
Lake Champlain's newest arrivals having only begun nesting
on the lake in 1981. Since then it has undergone a very rapid
population explosion expanding from one initial nesting pair
on Vermont's Young Island to more than 4200 pairs lakewide
in 2006. Most of this growth has occurred on the Four Brothers
Islands and Young Island although cormorants have nested on
more than 16 different islands on the lake at one time or
another. The rapid increase in breeding cormorant numbers
has resulted in concern over the impacts this fish-eating
species has on local fisheries. Population growth and expansion
has also forced other colonial nesting species from nesting
colonies (i.e. Black-crowned Night Herons from Young Island)
and threatens to potential impact endangered species such
as Vermont's Common Tern population.
Double-crested Cormorants have been managed
under federal permit by the Vermont Department of Fish and
Wildlife on Young Island through egg-oiling and culling of
adult birds and on several other islands through harassment
and nest removal. Cormorant nests have also been removed from
Popasquash, Hen and Rock (St. Albans) islands, both Common
Tern nesting locations.
Number of Double-crested Cormorant
Nests on Lake Champlain, 1982-2004.
Click here
for table.
? = birds documented nesting but numbers
unknown.
Source
High Peaks Audubon Society’s annual
surveys of the Four Brothers Islands, 1982- 2002.
Unpublished data. Elizabethtown, NY.
Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife
annual survey data. Unpublished. Essex Jct. VT.
University of Vermont annual surveys of
Young Island. Unpublished data. University of Vermont.
Burlington, VT.
Dr. David Capen, personal communication.
John, M. C. Peterson personal communication.
LaBarr, M. S. The 2002 Breeding Status
of Common Terns on Lake Champlain. Unpubl. report.
Audubon Vermont, Huntington, VT.
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