Cormorants feed on fish, eels, and even water snakes . Found around slow moving rivers, lakes, and even oceans. While they are graceful swimmers akin to other waterbirds, cormorants lack waterproof feathers of other birds and have to dry them out by opening their wings out to the sun. This behavior is commonly called "wing drying" and cormorants are rather vulnerable at this time being unable to fly away and will only be able to walk away or swim.
Cormorants are medium-to-large sized birds, with a body weight 0.77 pounds to 11.02 pounds and a wingspan of 24 to 39 inches. The majority of species have dark feathers. They have bills that are long, thin and hooked. Their feet have webbing between all four toes. All species are fish-eaters, catching the prey by diving from the surface and swimming after them. As excellent divers and swimmers, they propel themselves with their wings and feet; some species have been found to dive over 150 feet. They have relatively short wings due to their need for underwater movement; and consequently are fairly awkward on land.