How to Identify Double-crested Cormorant Feathers

What Double-crested Cormorant Feathers Look Like

This widespread North American waterbird shows an overall blackish-brown body with a subtle iridescent green-bronze sheen visible in good light, rather than a flat black. A distinctive practical feature of cormorant feathers generally, including this species, is that they are less waterproof than most waterbirds' feathers — cormorant feather structure allows some water absorption (which reduces buoyancy and aids diving), so a found feather may feel or have felt notably more water-permeable than a duck or goose feather, sometimes appearing slightly duller or less sleek as a result. During the breeding season, adults grow paired crest feathers above each eye, which can be all black or, in some western populations, whitish — these are short, wispy, curled plumes distinct from ordinary contour feathers and only present for part of the year. Flight feathers are large, strong, and dark (12–18 cm), built for a bird that both dives underwater and flies well. Immature birds show paler, brownish underparts rather than the darker adult tone, so a brown-toned body feather could indicate a younger bird.

Step-by-Step: Is This Feather From a Double-crested Cormorant?

• Check overall color. A blackish-brown feather with a subtle greenish-bronze iridescent sheen, rather than flat matte black, fits this species.
• Consider water permeability. If assessable, a feather that appears to have absorbed water more readily (less beaded/water-repellent than a typical duck feather) is consistent with cormorant feather structure.
• Look for curled crest feathers. Small, wispy, curled feathers found near what would be the head/eye area, especially if found in breeding season, suggest this species' ornamental crest.
• Assess size. Large, strong flight feathers (12–18 cm) with a thick shaft fit a mid-to-large waterbird capable of both diving and sustained flight.
• Factor in aquatic habitat. A feather matching these traits found near lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or coastal waters across North America strongly supports this identification.

Similar Species & How to Tell Them Apart

The Neotropic Cormorant, found in the southern US and further south, is smaller overall with correspondingly smaller feathers and typically shows a more pointed gular (throat) patch shape, though this is a skin feature rather than a feather trait — size remains the more practical feather-level clue. Great Cormorant, larger and found more in coastal areas including parts of the Atlantic coast, has bigger feathers overall and, in breeding plumage, white flank patches absent in Double-crested Cormorant — a white patch on an otherwise dark cormorant-type feather points toward Great Cormorant instead. Loons and grebes, sharing similar aquatic habitat, have denser, more tightly structured, glossier feathers built for full waterproofing (since they don't share the cormorant's water-permeable diving adaptation), making cormorant feathers noticeably less sleek and water-repellent by comparison.

Where & When You'll Find Them

Double-crested Cormorants are widespread across North America, breeding near lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and coastal waters, with northern populations migrating south for winter while southern populations remain resident year-round. Feathers can be found near almost any sizable body of water within their range at any time of year, but are especially common near communal nesting colonies on islands, dead trees, or cliffs during the breeding season. Breeding crest feathers are only present for a limited window in spring, so a curled crest feather found in early spring near a nesting colony is a strong seasonal clue, while ordinary dark body and flight feathers can be found in any season near cormorant roosting and fishing areas.