With my little knowledge, I can distinguish between a Crow and a Pigeon and so, rely on Google image search ! – sometimes, it can throw entirely weird results too.
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as Cormorants and shags. The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and the common shag (Gulosus aristotelis) are the only two species of the family commonly encountered in Britain and Ireland.
The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger) is a member of the
cormorant family of seabirds. சிறிய
நீர்க்காகம் ( கரண்டம், அர்க்கம்) என்றழைக்கப்படும்
பறவை தெற்காசியாவில் இனப்பெருக்கம் செய்கின்றது. ஏறக்குறைய 20 அங்குலம் (53 செ.மீ)
நீளமுடையது; ஆண், பெண் பறவைகள் ஒரே மாதிரி இருக்கும். உடல் முழுவதும் கருப்பாக, ஒருவித
பச்சை நிற மினுமினுப்புடன் காணப்படும். தொண்டைப்பை பகுதியைச் சுற்றி வெண்ணிறத் திட்டு
இருக்கும்.
The one here was pictured at Kairavini thirukkulam – the temple tank of Sri Parthasarathi Perumal. Slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. It is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called the Javanese cormorant. It forages singly in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on a waterside rock or a small tree with its wings spread out after coming out of the water. The entire body is black in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish, and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. These birds breed gregariously in trees, often joining other waterbirds at heronries.
Read about a new feature in Google images – the statement reads : In its effort to intensify the fight against misinformation and deepen its support for fact-checking communities, technology company Google has added an image fact-checking feature to its Fact Check Explorer service. Initially only available for text searches, Fact Check Explorer’s new image search feature addresses the challenges faced by fact checkers when verifying images. Fake or manipulated images are a persistent threat. Journalists, researchers, academics, and even concerned netizens can now simply upload or share the link of an image to determine if it has been previously fact-checked.
Currently in a global beta version, the new search feature enables fact checkers to understand the timeline and context of an image. This updated capability allows researchers to track when an image was first indexed by Google and its subsequent usage over time. By providing valuable insights into an image’s history, this feature empowers fact-checkers to assess the accuracy of images and their context to effectively combat harmful misinformation.
Mankind’s cruelty extends beyond imagination. Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing technique in which fishermen use trained cormorants to catch fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in China and Japan, as well as Greece, North Macedonia, and briefly, England and France. It was attested as a method used by the ancient Japanese in the Book of Sui, the official history of the Sui Dynasty of China, completed in 636 CE.
It is a technique where the birds catch their prey but cannot eat them. To control the birds, the fishermen tie a loose snare near the base of the bird's throat. The snare does not stop the bird from swallowing small fish, but prevents the bird from swallowing larger fish, which are held temporarily in their gullet. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has it regurgitate the fish.
Interesting !
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
11.8.2023
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