How many trout do these diving birds really eat?

[baetis]

Literature says they eat 1-2 lbs a day, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been at a pond and saw a bird eat more than that in an hour or so.

[Rickhem]

A couple of years ago I went with a friend to the park around Dahnert's Lake in Lodi. That lake is about the size of a large parking lot, all put-and-take fishing. Since my friend brought her granddaughter and they played in the park, I decided to throw some spinners for a while. In the hour or so while I watched, two Cormorants landed, and I watched one come up with a stocked trout TWICE! You could watch the fish slide down the birds throat as it swallowed it. That was in an hour! And it was long past when that lake was stocked, so I'm sure they were feeding there regularly.
We laughed about how all my ultralight equipment couldn't outfish a bird.

[jimcnj]

Originally Posted by Rickhem

A couple of years ago I went with a friend to the park around Dahnert's Lake in Lodi. That lake is about the size of a large parking lot, all put-and-take fishing. Since my friend brought her granddaughter and they played in the park, I decided to throw some spinners for a while. In the hour or so while I watched, two Cormorants landed, and I watched one come up with a stocked trout TWICE! You could watch the fish slide down the birds throat as it swallowed it. That was in an hour! And it was long past when that lake was stocked, so I'm sure they were feeding there regularly.
We laughed about how all my ultralight equipment couldn't outfish a bird.

Hard to compete with millions of years of evolution.

[phil]

those birds will probably be leaving soon since theres no fish in milton

[Mark B.]

US Fish & Wildlife Service manages double crested cormorants: http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/Cu...cormorant.html

Can’t get a depredation permit (permit to kill) for a NJ native species (double crested cormorant) preying on hatchery raised /stocked trout.

[goodfishin]

My son and I did the math last year on the four cormorants that methodically decimate Verona Lake. We worked out the numbers because despite the state stocking a ton of trout in that small lake, most of us anglers caught scarcely few. It was as if they had stocked a tiny fraction of what was reported.

So, the math:
- An adult cormorant can eat 4-5 fish a day
- Four cormorants = 16-20 fish a day
- The state allegedly stocked about 2,000 trout in Verona Lake last year

Multiplying those numbers out, those four damn birds wiped out up to 1,200 fish in just April and May alone. They likely cleaned out 2/3 of what was stocked... and that is not uncommon.

I saw them take out one fish after another last year. Saw one take out what looked to be at least a 3-lb bass that was so big, it practically choked on it. Hate those damn birds.

[hammer4reel]

Been watching the Hanover PA eagle cam. They have been eating 9-10 trout a day

[FASTEDDIE29]

This all goes back to the "SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING" talk for me. Instead of that I'd like to change it to, " SEE A CORMORANT KILL A CORMORANT" I know it's not the right thing to do and I really do love our native wildlife. But this flock of birds is out of control. Mother Nature's predators are making moves and eating well.

My new phrase. "SEE A CORMORANT KILL A CORMORANT!!!!
Or you can simply feed it some Alka Seltzer!!!

LOL! TIGHT LINEZ!!!!!

[FishnChips]

in one day i saw one bird commart eat 10 trout on opening day. they should kill them .i actually caugth one 2years ago in mouth and had to kill him some body said its a federal offence!

[jimcnj]

First they came for the cormorants, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a cormorants.

Then they came for the herons, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a heron.

Then they came for the eagles and ospreys, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not an eagle or an osprey.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

I really got to get out! Can't wait for Saturday morning.