#double-crested cormorant

Great egret and some double-crested cormorants, loitering at the town landing,

Yesterday, myself and another ornithologist recovered the dead body of an adult black-crowned night-heron from City Park in Denver, CO.  The bird’s foot was tangled in discarded fishing line that was then wound around a tree branch in a rookery.  Based on the bird being unable to leave the tree branch, it died slowly, unable to get free.

This morning I went to Belmar Park in Lakewood, CO to photograph birds.  I found fishing line in the mouth of an adult great blue heron that had just brought a meal of fish to its nestlings.  Worse yet, I found a double-crested cormorant, tangled in fishing line, hanging dead from a tree in the rookery.

Improperly discarded fishing line kills birds in terrible ways.  It’s not just an issue in an ocean far away, or in fishing towns, it’s an issue right in your local parks.
Please properly account for and dispose of fishing line and encourage others to be responsible as well.  Life is hard enough for wild animals, don’t make it that much harder.

Double-crested cormorant gathering nesting material

Double-Crested Cormorant | John James Audubon

naturezem:

A double-crested cormorant soaking up the Florida sun. ( Source )