Bird Island sign, in the Indian River Lagoon just off Sewall’s Point, Florida.

Double-crested Cormorant on top. Probably a juvenile, with the buff-colored breast and neck.

The gangly Double-crested Cormorant is a prehistoric-looking, matte-black fishing bird with yellow-orange facial skin. Though they look like a combination of a goose and a loon, they are relatives of frigatebirds and boobies and are a common sight around fresh and salt water across North America—perhaps attracting the most attention when they stand on docks, rocky islands, and channel markers, their wings spread out to dry. These solid, heavy-boned birds are experts at diving to catch small fish.

A sleek, aquadynamic shape.