© GW - monacoeye • Geneva, Feb 2013 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Great Cormorant
Latin: Phalacrocorax carbo
Other: Great Black Cormorant • Black Cormorant • Black Shag (NZ) • Grand Cormoran (Fr) • Cormoran Commun, Cormoranul mare (Ro)
Family: Phalacrocoracidae • Cormorants
Range: Widespread Europe, Asia and Australasia. Also W Africa.
Similar:

The European bird turns white around the head and chest during courtship, with a white patch near the thigh. Juveniles are brown with whitish stomachs. Adults have a yellow stripe below the eye spanning both halves of the back of the jaw, a white cheek, and irises are green.

Great Cormorants can form very large flocks and were seen below fishing with Pelicans in the sea near the mouth of the Danube.

They swim very low in the water, often with only necks and head sticking out, and famously dry their outstretched wings in the sun.

In Gambia, the lucidus White-Breasted Cormorant race is found. See comments for pic.

Below, Great Cormorant suns wings, Geneva, Feb 2013
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved. Lake Geneva, Feb 2013

Bird name: Mew Gull
Latin: Larus canus
Other: Common Gull (UK), Goéland cendré (Fr), gaviota cana (Es), gaivota-parda (Pt), Sturmmöwe (De), stormmeeuw (Nl), Fiskmås (Sv)
Family: Laridae • Gulls
Range: N Asia, N Europe, NW N America. It migrates south in winter
Similar: Great Black Backed Gull

A first winter Common Gull, Larus canus canus, (or Mew Gull), seen here on Lake Geneva in February.

Copyright: AW/monacoeye • Geneva, Switzerland • June • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Merganser
Latin: Mergus merganser
Other: Goosander (UK) • Harle Bièvre, Grand Harle (Fr) • Gänsesäger (De) • Smergo comune (It)
Family: Anatidae • Ducks, Mergansers
Range: Widespread North America, Eurasia
SImilar: Red-breasted Merganser

The Goosander, or Common Merganser, is found in northern parts of the world - its reach does not extend down to the Côte d'Azur, however. These Goosanders were photographed by Lake Geneva.

The male, above, has dark upperparts, and light underparts. Females and juveniles have reddish heads and greyish bodies. Juveniles have a white line below the eye.

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Photos copyright: monacoeye • Europe • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Eurasian Coot
Latin: Fulica atra
Other: Coot • Foulque Macroule • Focha Común • Blässhuhn • Folaga • Galeirão-Comum
Family: Rallidae - Rails, Coots

The Coot is probably the bird you are most likely to see near a lake or slow waterway in Europe, after the Mallard.

Easy to identify from its bobbing head movement and white shield that extends from the bill, which on closer inspection can be slightly pinkish. Plumage generally appears black.

There are about 11 Coot species worldwide, mostly in South America. The Eurasian Coot is the only one you are likely to see in Europe, though the Red Knobbed Coot can be found in southwest Spain.

The Coots are parts of the Rail family, which includes the larger Moorhen, which has a red bill with yellow tip, and is often seen in the same riverside habitat.

Notice the long lobed toes, even on the Coot chick, seen in Geneva, in June. The photo of several hundred on a lake was taken in the Camargue in January.More photos...