Science & Nature
Catch the Wave of Cormorants Migrating Along Lake Michigan by the Thousands: Video
Cormorants are pictured in a file photo. (Gina Stalos / iStock)
Spring migration has reached “high intensity” in Chicago, with more than a million birds on the move overhead nightly.
The majority of this traffic passes through after sundown, unseen. But some birds migrate, en masse, during the day.
Double-crested cormorants have been thrilling Chicagoans, including this reporter, lucky enough to witness thousands of the birds streaming along the Lake Michigan shoreline — wave after wave, lasting for several minutes. We captured video of them off of Montrose Beach.
“It’s not unusual to see these kinds of numbers this time of year. Usually it’s a bit more spread out, but there appears to be a more condensed push right now as recent poor weather has held migration up a bit,” said Edward Warden, president of the Chicago Ornithological Society.
“It is worth noting,” he added, “that (cormorant) population numbers have been steadily climbing for years, which may also be showing more dramatically this year.”
Though some cormorants will spend the summer in Chicago, most are heading further north to nesting grounds in the upper Great Lakes. The lakefront makes for a convenient flight path, offering plenty of food to fuel the birds on their journey, Warden said.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
