Shortly after arriving riverside at the Potomac River, DC, this Double-crested Cormorant emerged suddenly with a large Brown Bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) trapped in it's beak, tailfin flapping in the wind. Apparently the cormorant impaled it's catch in several places in it's effort to subdue the fish before swallowing it whole.

Congratulations Charles, not only this image but the whole sequence is very beautiful and interesting , ciao Giangiorgio

[[show-photo-18655368]]

 

Thank you Giangiorgio! Before this experience I didn't know cormorants could stab their prey. I imagine this one pinned the catfish to the shallow bottom where the bullheads typically feed, then surfaced with the fish in it's beak like a skewer. I'm attaching a close crop of that moment.

Hi Charles,

 

great capture! It's amazing how big a prey can be for these cormorants, to still swallow it whole. I like the photo of the stabbing of the catfish you added, it clearly shows how skilled these hunters are. Nice detail, good colors, well done! Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Vincent, thank you so much for your observations. Since taking this series of photos I've found youtube vids of cormorants swallowing even larger fish. They can be very ambitious indeed!