Neotropic x Double-crested Cormorant - East Baton Rouge, LA - November 2014
Photographed at University Lakes in Baton Rouge on 17 Nov. Neotrops have moved into the Baton Rouge area only within the last decade, a situation in which hybridization is more likely. I can not improve on the analysis below by Jim Arterburn, who has studied mixed pairs and apparent hybrids extensively in OK:
My first glance of the photos said NECO also. The bird does look small, slender necked and round headed and definitely long tailed. It looks like there might be some molt going on in the tail but it is still a long tailed bird. The bill looks shorter, but I think part of that is the perspective of the photo. There is some orange in the loral area but just a little and doesn’t extend to the forehead. The shape and color of the gular pouch is off for NECO also. I can’t make it into either species as the characteristics don’t match either, but they do match for a hybrid. It is a very interesting bird.
Neotropic x Double-crested Cormorant - East Baton Rouge, LA - November 2014
Photographed at University Lakes in Baton Rouge on 17 Nov. Neotrops have moved into the Baton Rouge area only within the last decade, a situation in which hybridization is more likely. I can not improve on the analysis below by Jim Arterburn, who has studied mixed pairs and apparent hybrids extensively in OK:
My first glance of the photos said NECO also. The bird does look small, slender necked and round headed and definitely long tailed. It looks like there might be some molt going on in the tail but it is still a long tailed bird. The bill looks shorter, but I think part of that is the perspective of the photo. There is some orange in the loral area but just a little and doesn’t extend to the forehead. The shape and color of the gular pouch is off for NECO also. I can’t make it into either species as the characteristics don’t match either, but they do match for a hybrid. It is a very interesting bird.