The double-crested cormorant is found near rivers and lakes and along the coastline. It mainly eats fish and hunts by swimming and diving. Its feathers, like those of all cormorants, are not waterproof and it must spend time drying them out after spending time in the water. Once threatened by the use of DDT, the numbers of this bird have increased markedly in recent years.
The double-crested cormorant was described by Rene Primevere Lesson in 1831. Its scientific name is derived from the Greek words :phalakros, "bald" and korax, "crow" or "raven", and the Latin auritus, "eared", referring to its nuptial crests. Its common name refers to the same nuptial crests.