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Cormorants and Anhingas: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants, Anhingas And People

Big flocks of cormorants are considered pests by some people because the birds can be messy and they eat fish. In South America, farmers gather the cormorants' droppings for fertilizer. In Japan and China, some people use cormorants to help them fish. Bird watchers sometimes travel long distances to see rare cormorants and anhingas.

FISHING WITH BIRDS

Some people in Asian countries use cormorants to help them catch fish. The birds are trained to behave like fishing machines. The fisher ties a piece of grass around a trained cormorant's neck to keep it from swallowing the fish it catches. After the bird jumps into the water and catches a fish, the fisher puts a pole in the water for the bird to grab with its feet. The fisher lifts the bird out and removes the fish. After a while, the fisher unties the grass from the bird's neck and lets it catch and eat all the fish it wants.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceBirdsCormorants and Anhingas: Phalacrocoracidae - Physical Characteristics, Cormorants, Anhingas And People, Great Cormorant (phalacrocorax Carbo): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION, CONSERVATION STATUS