An odd duck

Here you see 16 chicken-sized birds resting in a dead cypress tree. A casual observer could easily mistake these birds for a flock of black vultures, crows or young turkeys. On water there is a resemblance to a loon with a long neck, a small black goose or a large coot. These birds are double-crested cormorants.

The double-crested cormorant is most often seen on or near lakes, swimming or standing on rock outcrops and posts. A cormorant will have a rather long hooked beak, which it uses to catch small fish when it dives under the water.

The bird's name comes from a highly visible double crest of long white or black feathers that grow out perpendicularly at the sides of its head during the summer breeding season. In Southeast Missouri, the double-crested cormorant is a migratory bird that is more likely seen during winter or early spring when it does not sport its fancy double crest.

This is a gangly black bird with webbed feet that has a funny look when it walks.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more of Horrell's work at the Painted Wren Gallery in downtown Cape Girardeau.