Great Cormorant

Description:

The 80–100 cm long white-breasted cormorant P. c. lucidus found in sub-Saharan Africa, has a white neck and breast. It is often treated as a full species, Phalacrocorax lucidus

Habitat:

Sand beaches and fresh water of the Kazinga Channel between Lake George and Lake Edward.

Notes:

The great cormorant can dive to considerable depths, but often feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. Many fishermen see in the great cormorant a competitor for fish. Because of this it was nearly hunted to extinction in the past. Thanks to conservation efforts its numbers increased. In North Norway, cormorants are traditionally seen as semi-sacred.[citation needed] It is regarded as good luck to have cormorants gather near your village or settlement. An old legend states that people who die far out at sea, their bodies never recovered, spend eternity on the island Utrøst – which can only occasionally be found by mortals. The inhabitants of Utrøst can only visit their homes in the shape of cormorants.