The Great Cormorant is a large seabird that can be seen in Malta between September and May. Most are seen in November, December and March. Its current Maltese name, Margun, was already in existence in 1750.
The Cormorant varies in length from about 70 to 100 cm and has a wingspan of between 121 and 160 cm. Its weight can vary from about 1.5 kilos to 5.3 kilos. When swimming parts of its body are kept submerged, which, coupled with its long neck, gives it the resemblance of a prehistoric reptile.
Cormorants are a very ancient group of birds and their ancestors go back to the time of the dinosaurs. The very earliest known modern bird, Gansus yumenensis, had essentially the same structure.
Adult Cormorants are black with a green or bluish sheen. At the base of the bill they have an area of bare, yellow skin. Its eyes are quite unique and it can move them in a way similar to those of a chameleon to be able to locate its prey with accuracy.
Cormorants eat fish and eels, which they catch while diving underwater. They dive from the surface with a half-jump, which gives them a streamlined entry into the water. Underwater, they propel themselves with their large webbed feet. Some cormorants can dive to depths of up to 45 metres. After fishing, cormorants go ashore and hold their wings out to dry.
In Europe, many fishermen see the Cormorants as a competitor for fish and these birds were almost hunted into extinction in the past. But following protection measures, their numbers have increased again.
In countries such as China, fishermen use cormorants to catch fish. They tie a line around the birds’ throats and when cormorants catch fish, they are unable to swallow them and the fisherman retrieves the fish by forcing open the Cormorants' mouths.
In Malta, the Great Cormorant is a scarce but regular visitor and the number of Cormorants spotted locally varies. Single birds or small parties are usually seen but a flock of 45 has been recorded. A few birds try to winter in our bays and creeks, but many of them do not survive for long unfortunately because they end up being shot, even though they are protected by law.
Most of the cormorants that occur in Malta come from Scandinavia, especially Denmark and Sweden, as well as Germany. Studies on Danish cormorants show that Scandinavian birds migrate to the Mediterranean and North Africa, Algeria and in particular in Tunisia. The majority of Cormorants spend the winter in France, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Albania.
Three sub-species of Cormorants have been recorded in Malta: Phalacrocorax carbo carbo, which is found along the coasts of the northwest Europe, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis, which occurs in central and south Europe and North Africa and Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus,a race is found along the northwest of Africa.
Cormorants can live quite long and the oldest is known to have lived 21.5 years in the wild.
In Gozo there is a place name related to the Cormorant: il-fonda tal-Margun, situated close to Wied il-Mielah.
Photos by author