The Lake's King: A Double-Crested Cormorant's Showdown

As I scanned the lake through my binoculars, I spotted a massive geographic turtle basking on the far shore. When I reached the spot, I was thrilled to find a double-crested cormorant perched on a branch, its crests catching the light just right. I thought my luck couldn’t get any better—until another cormorant swooped in. This one was the big boss of the lake, sporting the largest crests I’d ever seen. What followed was a brief but intense showdown. The smaller cormorant quickly surrendered its branch to the boss, who now sits proudly in this photo, reigning supreme. Double-crested cormorant (In french, Cormoran à aigrettes) Quebec, Canada