Blue Jay vs Great Cormorant
Cyanocitta cristata comparé à Phalacrocorax carbo
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Blue Jay | Great Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Cyanocitta cristata | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Ordre | Passeriformes | Suliformes |
| Famille | Corvidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 28,0 cm (11.0 in) | 90,0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Envergure | 42,0 cm (16.5 in) | 145,0 cm (57.1 in) |
| Poids | 87,0 g (3.07 oz) | 2600,0 g (91.71 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Omnivorous — nuts (especially acorns), seeds, berries, insects, and occasionally eggs or nestlings of other … | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … |
| Taille de la couvée | 2-7 | 1-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Blue Jay
Deciduous and mixed forests, parks, and suburban areas. Highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes.
Great Cormorant
Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
Blue Jay
A harsh, ringing 'jaay-jaay-jaay'. Also mimics Red-tailed Hawk and other species convincingly. Gives soft, liquid 'bell' calls and gurgling whispers in flocks.
Great Cormorant
Deep, guttural grunts and 'karrr' calls at colonies. Bill-clicking and hissing in threat displays. Silent at sea. Colonial noise can be deafening during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Blue Jay
Eastern and central North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Some populations migrate irregularly.
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Statut de conservation
Blue Jay
Great Cormorant
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue Jay
Bright blue upperparts with black barring on the wings and tail. White face and underparts with a black necklace. Prominent blue crest.
Stout, straight black bill
Great Cormorant
All black with a bronze-green gloss. White throat patch and white thigh patches in breeding season. Yellow-orange face patch around the bill base.
Long, hooked, dark bill with a yellow gape
About These Birds
Blue Jay
The blue jay is a bold, intelligent member of the corvid family known for its striking plumage and loud calls. Blue jays are important dispersers of oak trees, as they cache thousands of acorns each autumn. Their complex social behavior includes mimicking the calls of hawks to scare other birds from feeders.
Great Cormorant
The great cormorant is one of the most widespread seabirds in the world. Unlike most waterbirds, cormorants lack fully waterproof plumage, leading to the iconic pose of standing with wings spread open to dry. In Asia, cormorants have been used by fishermen to catch fish for over a thousand years.