entry smap 271: immature cormorant

it is easy to recognize that a cormorant is immature because it has a much lighter belly than an adult. i am not completely sure which species this one is but i think it's an Indian cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis). it matches the descriptions in texts i have read but it could be a Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis). they are much larger, but from a distance it is difficult to judge their size unless other identifiable birds are nearby that can be compared. anyway both species are black as adults while the immature birds have the lighter coloration. the yellow base of the beak and gular pouch are also typical identification aids. the gular pouch expands to hold fish they catch before swallowing.

i took these shots with my S22 phone camera at the salt flats in Shiroda, India. the cormorant posed very nicely but was quite a distance away so the shots are not clear as i wish they were