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Clan of the Cormorant
The Cormorant is a sea bird that nest on the islands. There are three
types of Cormorants living on the Islands - the Pelagic Cormorant,
the Double-crested Cormorant, and Brandt’s Cormorant. As with other sea
birds, their plumage is not bright and showy - they are brown when young and
become a dark black as they mature. Scientists think this neutral coloring
gives them an advantage when hunting the fish that are their main food
sources. They have long necks, slender bills, fly in V formations or
straight lines as a group, and dive gracefully to catch fish.
They also feed on crustaceans that are shell fish that cling to the rocks
and are more easily accessible during low tides.
The Camp chose the Cormorant as a Clan totem for several reasons.
First, the Clan of the Cormorant represents the only Clan animal that lives
on the land, sea, and air, and it is the only Clan totem that is a flying
animal. Second, it is thought that the intricate feather cape made by the
Lone Woman of San Nicolas was woven of Cormorant feathers whose back sheen
caught the light and glistened as the wearer of the cape moved.
And third, the Cormorant is not a solitary bird - it lives in groups,
flies and hunts with its fellow birds, and the three species on the Islands
are native to the Pacific Coast
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