Two ebony birds are mating right in front of us, surrounded by black lava flows. They know nothing of fear as they have just a few predators. This might be one of the reasons why, after millions of years of evolution, they became the only flightless cormorants in the whole world.
There are already a several cormorant chicks and fledglings in the area, but this pair is just beginning to nest. It has been estimated that 90 per cent of the cormorant clutches found in Galapagos are laid between May and October. The waters around Fernandina, where these unique birds occur, are cool, and rich in fish, octopus and eels. The cormorant females lay 2 or 3 eggs, which are incubated for about 35 days. Guess what happens after the eggs hatch? The female deserts the nest, and it is the father that continues feeding the chicks until they are between 5 and 9 months old. Sometimes that same female finds a second partner and breeds again within the same year.
